How to Make a Romance Movie Adaptation—as Shown by ‘The Idea of You’

Look no further than the hordes of serious, esteemed actors who are absolutely begging to have a little fun, do a little dance montage, and work with an intimacy coordinator: Paul Mescal, Daniel Radcliffe, Dave Bautista, Dev Patel, and Dev Patel’s ’90s-Hugh-Grant hair. Give these leading men the romantic plots they’re asking for! Revive the Bridget... See more

Between the unexpected success of Anyone but You (the not-very-good rom-com that starred Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney), the critical and audience reception for The Idea of You (the quite good rom-com with Hathaway), and the juggernaut success of TV adaptations like Bridgerton and The Summer I Turned Pretty , it seems that society is, once again, ... See more

Audiences want romance. Stars want romance. We have a formula for romance that works when given the benefit of strong direction, witty writing, charming leads, a slightly unexpected soundtrack (Maggie Rogers, what are you doing here?!), and on occasion, a lithe and spirited British muse.

But in romance, tropes allow us to just fully lean into the entertainment of watching two people with chemistry fall in love. It’s as simple as an action movie. Those audiences want to see explosions. We want to see two people almost kiss, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door, then quickly come to their senses about why this love can never... See more