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Anyone But You star Glen Powell has confirmed that his dating rumors with co-star Sydney Sweeney were part of the film's promotional strategy. The young actors had got the tabloids excited with the pictures of their alleged romance. However, Powell recently confirmed that those rumors were part of the marketing strategy and said that they "worked wonderfully" for the film's success.
Anyone But You is loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing and is directed by Will Gluck, who also wrote the screenplay with Ilana Wolpert. It boasts the dynamic lead pair of Powell and Sweeney, with a talented supporting cast that includes Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.
Anyone But You made its big debut at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater on December 11, 2023, and then hit theaters across the United States on December 22, 2023, thanks to Sony Pictures Releasing. The movie earned $219 million globally, but critics had different opinions about it. Some liked it, and some didn't. Overall, it had a mix of good and not-so-good reviews.
Glen Powell comes clean about dating rumors with hisAnyone But You co-star
Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney and Top Gun: Maverick famed Glen Powell won audiences over with their electrifying on-screen chemistry in Will Gluck's latest outing, Anyone But You.
The pictures of their sizzling romance continued spreading all over the internet. And their loving gazes, charming banter, and flirtatious interviews with laughter and giggles further fueled the speculation about these new lovebirds of Hollywood.
However, in a recent interview with The New York Times, Glen Powell shattered those speculations and revealed that the rumors of their affairs were just an elaborate marketing strategy.
The actor refuted the dating rumors while also praising the marketing prowess of his co-star.
“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry. That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart.”
Both Sydney Sweeney and her fiancé, Jonathan Davino, are executive producers of the film. She was intimately involved with the marketing strategy of the film and perhaps fueled the rumors to gather more eyeballs for the film.
Did Powell and Sweeney affair rumors help with the success of Anyone But You?
This isn't the first time in Hollywood that rumors of a reel-life romance coming alive in real life have been fanned by the actors or production company as part of the marketing campaign.
If box office numbers are any indication, then Sweeney and Powell hit it out of the park with their showmanship. According to Variety, Anyone But You has grossed over $200 million at the box office.This is a rare feat for a R-rated romantic comedy. The last R-rated film to gross $200 million was Bridget Jones Baby in 2016, and the only film in recent history that is above Anyone But You is the PG-13 film Crazy Rich Asians.
When the film debuted at the box office, it only grossed $6 million in the opening weekend, finishing fourth at the box office behind Migration, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Iron Claw. But after the second week, the film started catching pace and eventually turned out to be one of the biggest rom-com success stories of the recent past.
The rumors surrounding the real-life romance of the lead cast helped the film stay in the limelight, which ultimately transformed into box office numbers.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned earlier, selling a fake off-screen romance is not an easy task. But Powell and Sweeney sold it, and they sold it well. The bitter-sweet romantic comedy did not just do well at the box office but also received a high volume of viewers after its streaming debut.
The mixed response from critics was overpowered by the charming screen presence of the lead pair.
The film is available on Netflix for streaming.
