We're in love with the idea of this casting announcement.
Anne Hathaway will lead the upcoming film adaptation of The Idea of You, a popular fan-fiction book that many believe was inspired by Harry Styles, which follows a divorced mom who embarks on a passionate love affair with a pop star during a music festival.
Michael Showalter will direct and co-produce the film, which is based on Robinne Lee's 2017 novel of the same name. The Devil Wears Prada star, 39, is set to play Sophie, a "40-year-old divorced mother. Sophie's husband Dan left her for a younger woman, and now he has canceled his Coachella trip with their 15-year-old daughter. Sophie picks up the pieces and braves the crowds and desert heat. There, she meets 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of the hottest boy band on the planet, August Moon," according to a press release.
Fans believe the romance novel was inspired by Harry because Hayes is a young, British musician who is the lead singer of his group, much like the former One Direction singer. Harry and Hayes also share the same taste in women, as the "Watermelon Sugar" singer is also dating Olivia Wilde, who is 10 years older than he is.
Beyond its association with a famous pop star, the author also made it clear that she wants readers to focus more on the story of a woman finding herself after a failed marriage.
"This was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles," Robinne explained in an interview with Vogue in Dec. 2020. "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 Idea of You will be produced by Anne, Robinne, Cathy Schulman and Gabrielle Union, Kian Gass, Eric Hayes and Jordana Mollick, while Jennifer Westfeldt will executive produce the film. Production is slated to begin in October; however, a release date has not been set.