Anne Hathaway has a slew of upcoming projects in the works, but her new movie certainly made our ears perk up. She signed on to the film adaptation of the popular fan fiction novel The Idea of You by Robinne Lee, that features a character very similar to none other than Harry Styles.
The Academy Award winner will portray Sophie, a 40-year-old divorced mother, whose ex-husband Dan left her for a younger woman. After Dan cancels a trip to Coachella with their 15-year-old daughter, Sophie heads to the desert with her instead. It’s there that she meets 20-something Hayes Campbell, lead singer of the famous boy band, August Moon – loosely based on Styles’ time in One Direction.
Sophie’s unexpected trip turns into an unexpected romance with Hayes Campbell. In the book, the character of Sophie is known as Solène Marchand. The novel’s description reads, “What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship.”
According to a GoodReads Q&A with the author, Lee didn’t intend for readers to think Hayes was based on Styles. “Hayes is very different from Harry Styles. I think people who are aware of Harry and/or want to picture Harry will. And that’s completely fair, as the most successful British boy band of the last ten years is One Direction. And if you’re going to create a twenty-something pop star, you may want to start with a good head of hair and dimples, because why not?”
In a 2020 interview with Vogue, Lee also addressed Hayes’ character comparison with the “Watermelon Sugar” musician. “This was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles,” she 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.”
The movie will be directed by Michael Showalter, who brought us The Dropout, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and The Big Sick.
Remember when we said Hathaway has been busy? Some of the other projects she has in the works include, She Came to Me alongside Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei, Mother’s Instinct alongside Jessica Chastain, Eileen with Last Night in Soho’s Thomasin McKenzie. Styles is set for a big year as well, he released his album Harry’s House in the spring, and his film Don’t Worry Darling comes out this September and My Policeman in October.
According to Entertainment Weekly, production on The Idea of You will begin in October. Watch this space as we await a release date.
