Anne Hathaway shed a few tears Saturday after watching the audience react to her new film, "The Idea of You."
In the upcoming rom-com, the Oscar-winning actor portrays a 40-year-old divorcée who falls for the lead singer of a popular boy band, played by Nicholas Galitzine.
Although fans will have to wait a few months for the movie's official release in theaters, "The Idea of You" had its first screening at the South by Southwest film festival on March 16.
Variety posted videos on X of Hathaway, Galitzine and the flick's producers, including Gabrielle Union, speaking after the credits rolled. In one clip, Hathaway became emotional as she thanked fans for their positive responses.
"I can’t talk," she said through tears as she took the microphone.
A fan offered support and shouted, "I love you!"
"I love you so much!" Hathaway replied.
The audience instantly started to cheer and applaud as she continued, "You have no idea the gift that you’ve just given us with your responsiveness, by being so connected to every little nuance in this. I will never forget this screening. Thank you so much."
She blew kisses to the crowd before she explained why she signed onto the film, which is based on the 2017 bestselling novel by Robinne Lee. (Lee also serves as a producer.)
"I wanted to make this movie because it was a great part... and a fun premise" she said. "And for some reason, we talk about coming-of-age stories as being something that happens to you in the earliest part of your life. And I don't know about you, but I feel like I keep blooming."
Based on the trailer, it seems Hathaway and Galitzine are going to make the perfect pair in "The Idea of You."
On March 6, Prime Video dropped the official preview for the movie, which shows Hathaway and Galitzine's characters, single mother Solène and boy band frontman Hayes, falling in love after they meet at Coachella.
"I'm too old for you," Solène tells Hayes in the trailer.
"No, you're not," he replies before pulling her in for a kiss.
Although it's clear the new couple is infatuated, it's not an immediate happy ever after. In one scene, Solène asks Hayes if he'll care what people will say about their relationship, given their 16-year age gap.
"I don't care what they say," he replies.
Fans have been anticipating the book's adaptation for years. Here's everything we know about "The Idea of You" so far.
When does 'The Idea of You' come out?
Mark your calendars. “The Idea of You” comes out on Prime Video May 2.
Meet the cast and crew of ‘The Idea of You’
Hathaway is the movie's leading lady — and in September 2022, the leading man was announced: Galitzine, star of the Netflix romance "Purple Hearts" and Prime Video's "Red, White & Royal Blue," will play Hayes.
Michael Showalter, known for directing "The Big Sick" and "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," will direct and produce "The Idea of You." On the producing side, he'll have assistance from Hathaway, Gabrielle Union and the book's author, among others.
The book ‘The Idea of You’ previews the movie's plot
For more details on the plot, head to the bestselling novel "The Idea of You." In the book, 39-year-old divorced protagonist Solène Marchand takes her daughter to meet her favorite boy band and subsequently falls for a much younger man: 20-year-old Hayes Campbell, a member of the band August Moon.
While maintaining the same premise, the film makes a few departures from the book. For one, Hathaway's character is 40 years old while Hayes is 24 in the film.
Further, Solène meets Hayes at Coachella in the movie, while in the book, they meet backstage at a concert in Las Vegas.
Is 'The Idea of You' Harry Styles fan fiction?
The book has been characterized as "Harry Styles fan fiction." But is it?
Back in 2017, Lee told blogger Deborah Kalb the novel began after she encountered the lead singer of a boy band on YouTube.
“A few years ago, my husband was away on business, and I was up late surfing music videos on YouTube when I came across the face of a boy I’d never seen in a band I’d never paid attention to, and it was so aesthetically perfect it took me by surprise. It was like…art. I spent a good hour or so Googling and trying to figure out who this kid was, and in doing so, I discovered that he often dated older women, and so the seed was planted,” she said.
Lee does not identify the leading man during that interview, but fans speculated she was speaking about Harry Styles. Then, speaking to “Vogue” in 2020, Lee confirmed the novel was loosely inspired by Harry Styles of One Direction, as well as Eddie Redmayne and her real-life husband — but added it's not "fan fiction."
“This was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles,” Lee told Vogue. “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.”