The real inspiration behind Anne Hathaway's The Idea Of You.

Even before it hit our screens, audiences have been falling in love with The Idea Of You.

The upcoming romantic drama will premiere on Prime Video on May 2, after premiering at South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival in March to positive reviews that only heightened fans' appetites for the highly anticipated movie.

Directed by Michael Showalter, who co-wrote the film with Jennifer Westfeldt, The Idea Of You had a dedicated fandom and an intricate history well before it was set to make its way into our living rooms. 

Here's everything you need to know about The Idea Of You (read: the facts you'll want to share in your group chat when you plan the watch party with your friends).

The Idea Of You is a film adapted from a beloved book.

The Idea Of You is the debut novel from American actress and author Robinne Lee who released the book in June 2017.

As an actress, Lee appeared in TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Numbers and movies such as Seven Pounds and the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise before turning her hand to penning books you're unable to put down. 

While the novel was released in 2017, it continued to grow rapidly in popularity over the following years, all fueled by online fan clubs, word of mouth, and glowing TikTok reviews. Sales of the book increased 20 per cent in 2019, and have continued to climb since. 

Take a look at the trailer for The Idea Of You on Prime Video. 

What is The Idea Of You about?

The story is centred on a 39-year-old French-born art gallerist named Solène Marchand, who is a divorced mother of one. In an unexpected turn of events, Solène meets and begins a relationship with Hayes Campbell, the 24-year-old dreamy British frontman of her teen daughter’s favourite boy band, August Moon.

The movie adaptation sticks very close to the original plot, as it chronicles Solène and Hayes' love story as they navigate being two people from very different worlds who are falling passionately in love, all while the world is watching their every move and Solene's own daughter is wrapped up in her fandom of her mother's new boyfriend. 

Robinne Lee said that the real hook of the story is Solène falling in love with life in her 40s, just as much as she falls in love with Hayes.

"It was supposed to be a story about a woman approaching 40 and reclaiming her sexuality and rediscovering herself," the author told Vogue. "Just at the point that society traditionally writes women off as desirable and viable and whole."

There have been some changes to the story during the journey of adapting the book into a movie, so even if you've devoured the novel already you'll still in for some big surprises when it comes time to sit down and watch the film.

 Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in The Idea Of You. Image: Prime Video.

Why was the casting of The Idea Of You so important?

Audiences have been falling in love with Anne Hathaway's work for more than two decades. The Oscar-winning actress landed her breakout role in 2001's The Princess Diaries and since then has continued to deliver interesting and nuanced performances, whether she's playing Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, bringing us to tears with her performance in Les Misérables or turning her hand to appearing in critically acclaimed TV shows such as We Crashed. 

Anne Hathaway was the perfect choice for Solène Marchand because, in her owns words, her career and life has kicked into overdrive since she entered her 40s. 

Speaking at the film's world premiere at SXSW, Anne shared why she decided to take on the role, explaining that she felt The Idea Of You was about a woman who changes her life in her 40s. 

"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," she said at the premiere "I don’t want to be pigeonholed and don’t want to be placed in a box of what type of films I have to be making because of my age, gender, and because I won an Oscar. I want to have fun, dammit. It speaks to me."

English actor Nicholas Galitzine first caught our eye in the romantic drama Purple Hearts and made us laugh out loud with his role in the comedy Bottoms but it was his role as Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue that truly made audiences fall in love with him and cemented him as a leading man. 

The on-screen chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine in The Idea Of You is sizzling. You'll be captivated by their love story, which is complex, raw, and at times, difficult to watch as they navigate their different lives, but the co-stars bring this epic romance to life with nuance, heart and humour.

The Idea Of You is an admissible contemporary love story, one set to become an instant classic. 

The Idea Of You launches exclusively on Prime Video on May 2. Start your 30-day free trial.

Feature Image: Prime Video.