Did Harry Styles fan fiction inspire Anne Hathaway's new rom-com?
Los Angeles, California - What does rocker Harry Styles have to do with the upcoming Anne Hathaway romantic comedy film The Idea of You? Here's everything you need to know!
Fan fic-inspired movies are no new thing. Take the culture-rocking Fifty Shades of Grey franchise and its start as a Twilight fan story, for instance.
The Idea of You wouldn't even be the first Harry Styles fan fic to be made into a film. The After books by Anna Todd – later adapted into a series of movies – originated as Wattpad fan fiction based on the Watermelon Sugar singer.
In The Idea of You, Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old LA-based single mom named Solène. Through an unlikely series of events, Solène falls head over heels in love with 24-year-old British boy band heartthrob August Moon, played by Nicholas Galitzine.
The key relationship of the film, which is directed by Michael Showalter of Wet Hot American Summer and The Eyes of Tammy Faye fame, bears a striking resemblance to that of the former One Direction member and his much-older ex, Olivia Wilde.
It's obvious to see that the actors cast for the lead roles also bear a striking physical resemblance to Styles and Wilde!
Still, The Idea of You's source material actually predates that romance, as it's based on a 2017 novel of the same name that became the "sleeper hit" of the 2020 quarantine, according to Vogue.
What does the author of The Idea of You have to say about all this?
In a December 28, 2020, interview with the outlet, The Idea of You author Robinne Lee confronted the Harry Styled buzz head-on.
"This was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles," the writer said.
"It was supposed to be a story about a woman approaching 40 and reclaiming her sexuality and rediscovering herself, just at the point that society traditionally writes women off as desirable and viable and whole."
Lee also told Vogue that she modeled the male lead off of her "dream guy" – "like Prince Harry meets Harry Styles."
So it's not based on him, but also it kind of is?
YouTube commenters weren't shy about calling the film out under the trailer video.
"This is literally a Harry styles fanfic turned into a movie, I'm crying," reads one popular comment.
Check out The Idea of You on May 2, when it becomes available for streaming via Amazon Prime!
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/YouTube/Prime Video & VALERIE MACON/AFP