On December 22, 2023, Sony Pictures Releasing released their highly anticipated rom-com movie Anyone but You in theatres across the United States. The movie stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in lead roles. Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Darren Barnet, Dermot Mulroney, Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths feature in supporting roles.
Following its release, the movie generated significant buzz as audiences quickly noticed several references to a famous Shakespearean play. The play in question was William Shakespeare's celebrated comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.
The accomplished screenplay writer for the movie, Ilana Wolpert made it clear on multiple occasions that she held a deep admiration for Shakespeare. It's no wonder that her latest movie reflects the same level of artistic brilliance as the Bard's.
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Disclaimer: The following article comprises spoilers
Is Anyone but You based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing?
Anyone but You is undeniably based on William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The film revolves around the classic enemies-to-lovers trope that was the central theme of Shakespeare's famous play. As mentioned earlier, this was something even Ilana Wolpert had mentioned in several instances.
The movie's Instagram page was one of the first places where the audiences identified the link between Shakespeare's celebrated play and the movie. Additionally, in an interview with a journalist from her alumni school, Ilana Wolpert shared her love for the play and said:
"Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespearean piece, and I kept coming back to it at school, even throughout my studies in college. I believe this is the original ‘enemies to lovers’ romantic comedy. There is so much farce, great humor, and so many great characters. It's about family and friendship, but also a battle of wits and genders. It's really a wonderful play. I always felt it would make an amazing movie.”
In the same discussion, while talking about Sydney Sweeney, she also said:
“We wanted to find the right female lead for this because it is based on Shakespeare, and she was very excited about the part.”
What is Anyone but You about?
The gist for Anyone but You, released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, reads:
"In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold - until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple."
The movie and its plot has garnered immense praise from the public. Anyone but You was made at a budget of approximately $25 million. Box Office Mojo by IMDb Pro estimated that the movie collected around $219 million worldwide, which makes it a massive hit.
Where can you watch Anyone but You?
Some theatres are still running shows of Anyone but You. But, if you are not a fan of the movies you can catch the show on Netflix, where it was recently released. The movie's release on the popular OTT platform showed a similar trend to its theatrical release. Soon after the movie was added to the streaming platform, it made its way to the top-ranking movies on the platform.
With its release on Netflix, the movie was able to reach more people. It has been garnering praise from the audiences for its entertainment factor. The audience gave the movie an impressive 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A user wrote:
"Everyone Will Love This Film. This film is a throwback to Theatrical Rom-Coms that they stopped showing in cinemas after covid hit. Genuinely a fantastic movie! The cast was excellent and the writing was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Sweeney & Glen were perfect casting choices."
She added:
"Their acting, the portrayal of genuine emotions, everything was really well done and I can't say enough good things about this film. This movie was also HILARIOUS and the supporting characters were amazing. Love Australia, the nature the beauty is great, brings out happiness and almost everyone can relate with this storyline, and I don't want to spoil it, but the end is really cute."
Anyone but You is currently streaming on Netflix.
