The Idea of You Cast Talks Instant Chemistry and Making Updates From Book to Screen
The Idea of You follows 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the leading member of the hottest boy band. When Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mother, unexpectedly meets the pop star at Coachella, the two have instant chemistry. Will their love for each other outweigh the public scrutiny?
This film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Robinne Lee. It’s clear that the filmmakers made some updates from the source material. From the way the couple meets to their ages, the changes look like an attempt to modernize the story and appeal to larger audiences. “It was necessary that we aged up the daughter. We wanted someone for Solène to speak to about the changes that were happening in her own life,” shared producer Cathy Schulman about the first update she made when reformatting the story.
Ella Rubin first heard of the project from a social media post announcing the casting of Anne Hathaway. The post also mentioned that they were looking to cast her mid-teen aged daughter for the film. Rubin immediately screenshotted the post and sent it to her agent at the same moment the audition hit her email inbox. “It was this serendipitous, very lucky thing,” Rubin shared. The actress also revealed that she had been compared to her on-screen mother many times, stating, “It’s the most flattering compliment I could get.” Hathaway retorted with, “I’m so thrilled. I’m so thrilled I look like you.”
When writing the adaptation, the team only had one leading woman in mind. That’s right, Anne Hathaway was the only choice to play Solène. Hathaway shared that she took a step away from romantic comedies in her thirties as she wasn’t getting sent scripts or finding something that resonated. “I didn’t notice that I hadn’t been sent a romantic script in a really long time. When this found its way to me, it was such a beautiful character and such an amazing world,” Hathaway shared. When she was approached for The Idea of You she though it was the perfect time to revisit the genre. “In one of the first conversations I had with Cathy I said ‘If we hit our targets, we can start this when I’m 39 and I’ll turn 40 while we’re filming.’”
Nicholas Galitzine and Hathaway shared the same sentiment that they hit it off from initial meeting. “I felt the connection and chemistry between us immediately,” Galitzine admitted. The two could not commend each other enough as they established a strong friendship leading into filming. “I’m so happy to have become friends with such a wonderful person,” Hathaway shared.
Aside from the romantic aspects of the film, Galitzine shared that he was equally excited and scared by the role. "The dancing and the performing was really tricky because it was something I hadn’t done before,” Galitzine shared. He knew it would be a challenge, but a fun and unique way to expand on his acting skills.
The Idea of You is streaming on Prime Video on May 2.
