Hathaway will play Sophie, a 40-year-old divorced mother whose husband left her for a younger woman.
Wattpad and fan fiction enthusiasts, listen up. Anne Hathaway has been cast in the leading role of a film adaptation based on the popular fan-fic novel inspired by Harry Styles, The Idea of You, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The Robinne Lee novel published in 2017 follows 39-year-old art gallery owner Solène Marchand, who takes her daughter Isabelle to meet her favorite boy band, August Moon. Solène unexpectedly makes a connection with boy band member Hayes Campbell, but he is only 20 years old. “What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship,” according to the book’s description. “It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami.”
What differs in the film, however, is Hathaway will play Sophie, a 40-year-old divorced mother whose husband left her for a younger woman. He cancels a trip with their 15-year-old daughter to Coachella, so Sophie steps in to take her — where she eventually meets 24-year-old Campbell of August Moon.
“Hayes is very different from Harry Styles. I think people who are aware of Harry and/or want to picture Harry will,” Lee previously wrote in a Q&A session about Campbell’s similarities to Styles. “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 popstar, you may want to start with a good head of hair and dimples, because why not?”
The Prime Video movie will be directed by Michael Showalter, who will also produce alongside Hathaway, Lee, Cathy Schulman, Gabrielle Union, Kian Gass, Eric Hayes and Jordana Mollick. Jennifer Westfeldt will serve as executive producer and writer.
A release date for the film has not been set.