Anyone but You is a 2023 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ilana Wolpert. Loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare,[4] it stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. The supporting cast includes Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.
| Anyone but You | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Will Gluck |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Ilana Wolpert |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Danny Ruhlmann |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[2] |
| Box office | $220.2 million[2][3] |
Anyone but You premiered in AMC Lincoln Square Theater on December 11, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on December 22, 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics and emerged a sleeper hit, grossing $220 million worldwide.[5] This success was seen as the return of romantic comedies to theaters.[6][7][8][9]
Plot
editBea, a law student at Boston University, meets Goldman Sachs employee Ben at a coffee shop. The two have an instant connection and spend the day together, ultimately falling asleep on Ben's couch. She leaves without waking him in the morning but quickly reconsiders. When she returns to the apartment, she overhears Ben insulting her while talking to his friend Pete. Not realizing that he is incredibly hurt by her disappearance, Bea leaves.[4]
Bea and Ben cross paths again six months later when Bea's sister, Halle, begins dating Pete's sister, Claudia. The two are frosty with each other, each blaming the other for their date ending poorly. Halle and Claudia get engaged and plan their wedding in Sydney.
Bea, who has broken up with her fiancé Jonathan and secretly dropped out of law school, is dismayed to find that she and Ben will both be staying at Claudia and Pete's parents' house in the days leading up to the wedding. Their disdain for each other frustrates the other members of the wedding party, compounded by the appearances of both Bea's and Ben's exes, Jonathan and Margaret, respectively.
The attendees devise a plan to get Bea and Ben together to ensure the wedding goes smoothly. Bea sees through the scheme and makes a deal with Ben to pretend that they are together in order to both make Margaret jealous and stop Bea's parents pushing her to reconcile with Jonathan. Early efforts to sell the relationship are unsuccessful until a party on a boat, where Bea and Ben dance together and reenact a scene from Titanic, which ends in Bea falling into Sydney Harbour. Ben jumps in after her; while waiting for rescue on a buoy, she tells him that she has withdrawn from law school, and they make a date to sightsee at the Sydney Opera House. They return to the house and have sex, but Bea suggests offhandedly that her recent actions have all been mistakes, which disappoints Ben. He slips away in the morning, disheartening Bea.
The morning of the wedding, Ben indirectly reveals to Bea's parents that she has quit law school, leaving her feeling betrayed. After overhearing Halle and Claudia arguing, Ben convinces Bea to pretend to reconcile for the sake of the wedding. The ceremony goes smoothly, but Bea sees Margaret kissing Ben and leaves in tears, heading to the Opera House. However, Ben rejects Margaret and says that he no longer has feelings for her. The wedding guests convince him to chase after Bea, so he jumps off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean, then convinces the rescue helicopter to fly him to the Opera House.
Ben tells Bea that he left because he feared their relationship could become another regret; Bea in turn tells him that spending the night with him was the first thing she has not regretted in a long time. They reconcile and return to the reception as a couple, where Halle and Claudia reveal that their argument was a ruse to push the two together. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Margaret get together.
Cast
edit- Sydney Sweeney as Beatrice "Bea" Messina
- Glen Powell as Ben
- Alexandra Shipp as Claudia, Pete's sister, who is marrying Halle
- GaTa as Pete, Ben's best friend
- Hadley Robinson as Halle Spence, Bea's sister, who is marrying Claudia
- Michelle Hurd as Carol, mother of Claudia and Pete
- Dermot Mulroney as Leo, father of Bea and Halle
- Darren Barnet as Jonathan, until recently Bea's fiancé
- Bryan Brown as Roger, father of Claudia and step-father of Pete
- Rachel Griffiths as Innie, mother of Bea and Halle
- Charlee Fraser as Margaret, Ben's former girlfriend
- Joe Davidson as Beau, Margaret's current romantic partner
Production
editDevelopment and casting
editIt was announced in January 2023 that Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell would star in the then-untitled film to be directed by Will Gluck.[10] Alexandra Shipp, Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet and Hadley Robinson joined the cast in February,[11][12] with the additions of Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths and GaTa announced the following month.[13][14]
Filming
editFilming began in New South Wales in February 2023.[15] In May, the film was titled Anyone but You.[16] The movie was filmed in various locations across Sydney, including the Sydney Opera House, Marks Park in Bondi, Palm Beach, Jones Bay Wharf, the Queen Victoria Building, and Barrenjoey Lighthouse.[17]
During production, a scene involving a rescue helicopter almost went wrong due to mechanical issues, requiring an emergency landing.[18] In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sweeney revealed another incident that had happened during production; while filming the spider scene, the trained huntsman spider that was used actually bit her.[19]
Music
editThe film's score was produced by Este Haim and Chris Stracey.[20] The film's title track was released by Still Woozy.[21] Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" is prominently featured throughout the film.[22][23]
Release
editAnyone but You premiered at AMC Lincoln Square Theater in New York City on December 11, 2023,[24] and was released by Sony Pictures Releasing in the United States and Canada on December 22, 2023.[25] In response to the success at the box office, Sony Pictures released an extended version of the film in theaters on February 9, 2024, ahead of Valentine's Day.[26]
Anyone but You was released on digital platforms on February 20, 2024,[27] and on Blu-ray on March 12, 2024.[28]
Reception
editBox office
editAnyone but You grossed $88.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $131.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $220 million.[2][3] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $103 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[29] As of 2024, it is the highest-grossing Shakespeare film adaptation.[30]
In the United States and Canada, Anyone but You was released alongside Migration, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Iron Claw, and was projected to gross around $7 million from 3,055 theaters in its four-day opening weekend.[31] The film made $3.5 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $6.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[32] In its second weekend the film made $8.8 million, finishing fifth at the box office.[33] In its third weekend the film made $9.5 million (an increase of 9%), finishing fifth again,[34] before making $7.1 million and finishing in fourth the following week.[35]
Critical response
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 54% of 115 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Slick direction and a pair of tremendously watchable stars make Anyone But You a passably fizzy diversion despite a less than scintillating story."[36] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 52 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[37] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an average of four out of five stars, with 57% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[32]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | People's Choice Awards | Comedy Movie of the Year | Anyone but You | Nominated | [38] |
| Comedy Movie Star of the Year | Sydney Sweeney | Nominated | |||
| Glen Powell | Nominated | ||||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film — Wide Theatrical Release | Anyone but You | Nominated | [39] |
References
edit- ^ "Anyone But You (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Anyone but You – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Anyone but You (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Anyone But You". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ Newland, Christina (July 18, 2024). "Glen Powell to Zendaya: Are genuine movie stars being born again?". BBC Culture. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ Whitten, Sarah (February 14, 2024). "'Anyone But You' could spark a rom-com renaissance in Hollywood". CNBC. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ Kamins, Julie. "Anyone But You marks the return of good rom-coms". Hi's Eye. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (February 29, 2024). "'Anyone But You': How The Sexy Romcom Became A $200M+ Global Box Office Phenom". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ Guerrasio, Jason. "'Anyone but You' was a sleeper hit at the box office. Its success proves Hollywood needs to reinvest in romantic comedies". Business Insider. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2023). "Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell To Star In Sony Rom-Com From Will Gluck". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 10, 2023). "Alexandra Shipp Joins Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell In Sony Rom-Com From Will Gluck". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (February 16, 2023). "Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet & Hadley Robinson Board Sony Rom-Com From Will Gluck". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (March 7, 2023). "Dermot Mulroney & Rachel Griffiths Latest To Board Will Gluck's Sony Rom-Com". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (March 10, 2023). "Dave Breakout GaTa Boards Sony's Sydney Sweeney Rom-Com From Will Gluck". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Slatter, Sean (February 23, 2023). "Will Gluck rom-com starring Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Bryan Brown to film in NSW". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 3, 2023). "Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell Romantic Comedy Anyone But You Eyes Pre-Christmas Launch". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Anyone But You Filming Locations". FilmiLoc.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ Guglielmi, Jodi (December 21, 2023). "Glen Powell Is the Rom-Com Stud We Deserve". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Sydney Sweeney Shows Exclusive Clip of Her Being Bit by a Spider While Filming Anyone But You. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Este Haim & Christopher Stracey Scoring Will Gluck's 'Anyone But You'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Schube, Will (December 22, 2023). "Still Woozy Shares 'Anyone But You' From Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Rom-Com". uDiscover Music. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (January 4, 2024). "Anyone But You soundtrack: All the songs in the romcom". Radio Times. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Davids, Brian (December 22, 2023). "'Anyone But You' Director Will Gluck on His Romcom Return, Paparazzi Set Photos and Nathan Fielder "Feud"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Shilstone, Scott; D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 12, 2023). "Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell At 'Anyone But You' Premiere: "We Made The Rom-Com Big Again"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 13, 2023). "Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell Romantic Comedy 'Anyone But You' Tweaks Pre-Christmas Launch". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Sony Pictures [@SonyPictures] (February 1, 2024). "Now the biggest rom-com in years has even more to love" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Tingley, Anna (February 21, 2024). "'Anyone but You' Gets Digital Release With Deleted Scenes and 'ASMR Pick-Up Lines' Bonus Feature". Variety. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Anyone But You Blu-ray Disc Details". High-Def Digest. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 1, 2024). "Small Movies, Big Profits: Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell's Rom-Com, Horror Hits Among Overachievers In Deadline's 2023 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ Laguerre-Lewis, Kayla (April 25, 2024). "Anyone But You Soundtrack Guide". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 19, 2023). "'Aquaman 2' The Big Fish In Warner Bros Christmas Troika With 'Wonka' & 'Color Purple', But Holiday Box Office Not Looking Bright – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 24, 2023). "Christmas Box Office Slows Down: 'Aquaman 2' $38M-$39M, 'Wonka' $26M, 'Migration' $17M & More – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 31, 2023). "'Aquaman 2', 'Wonka' & More Propel Christmas Week Box Office To $281M, +14% Over 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 7, 2024). "First Weekend Of 2024 Down 16%, As 'Wonka' Leads, 'Night Swim' Paddles To $12M+, 'Aquaman 2' Nears $100M – Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 14, 2024). "Winter Storm Gerri Doesn't Cramp 'Mean Girls' Style As Musical Heads For $31M+ Opening – Saturday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "Anyone but You". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "Anyone but You". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "2024 People's Choice Awards: Complete List of Nominees". E! Online. January 11, 2024. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 17, 2024). "GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
