Juicy when there is conflict between two characters: Anne Hathaway on recipe for ideal rom-com

New Delhi: How do you know you have a perfect romantic comedy at hand? For Hollywood star Anne Hathaway, it's when there is a 'pleasurable conflict' between two characters, much like one of her favourites It Happened One Night.

In her upcoming film The Idea of You, the Oscar winner plays Solene Marchand, a 40-year-old single mother who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, played by Nicholas Galitzine, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

It Happened One Night a 1934 love story featuring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, starts with some friction between lead characters. It follows Ellie, a pampered socialite seeking liberation from her father, who falls in love with a roguish reporter, Peter.

This conflict, Hathaway said, was also present in The Idea of You, set to premiere on Prime Video globally on May 2.

'One of my favourite rom-coms is one with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert called 'It Happened One Night' and so any time you can get believable tension and conflict between the two characters, that's very juicy. Conflict is really important but it has to be a pleasurable conflict,' the actor told PTI in an international roundtable interview.

Popular in India for her performances in The Princess Diaries' films, The Devil Wears Prada, Interstellar, Love & Other Drugs and One Day, Hathaway said unlike other movies in the rom-com genre, the conflict in The Idea of You is not between her and Galitzine's characters but the couple and the world.

In the movie, the age difference between Solene, an art gallery owner, and Hayes leads to a paparazzi storm, forcing the couple to evaluate their priorities.

According to the 41-year-old star, the fact that the characters get along well was interesting.

'What seemed very fresh to me was: this is a relationship that is clearly working for these two people. It's just outside of the parameters of what society thinks a relationship should look like. The conflict isn't actually between the couple, it's between the couple and the world.

'It's really interesting that we can't be just happy for people when they are happy, we try to complicate it. I love that these two people decide to keep going deeper into their love and not care about what the world has to say about it until they must,' she added.

Asked what her Indian fans should look forward to in the film, Hathaway said there is a lot to unpack in The Idea of You, directed by Michael Showalter and based on Robinne Lee's 2017 acclaimed book.

'There is so much in this movie, there is dancing, love, beautiful clothing, and there is more dancing. There are concerts and amazing art. There are two people just kind of keeping it real with each other and falling in love with the process. There is a line in a movie where Hayes says to Solene that 'It's hard to trust people, isn't it?'

'And, they are two people who have good reasons not to trust other people and I think that's really beautiful to watch them sort of open to each other and to watch two people who, considering these times when everyone is so fearful, learn to feel safe with each other and become a safe place for each other,' the actor said.

Galtizine, known for Red, White & Royal Blue and Purple Hearts, believes the rom-com genre has 'definitely come back with a bang'.

'There was this golden era which seemed to like rom-coms. I can think of Hugh Grant movies. I think people, maybe given the state of the world in the last few years, really want some sense of escapism and feel good. I definitely say they are back,' he said.

The 29-year-old actor said he drew inspiration from 'a couple of real-life references' particular to the film's story, like the former British group One Direction and K-pop sensation BTS to base his character of a popstar.

'I watched a bit of One Direction growing up within that kind of zeitgeist. As I was undergoing dance and singing training, we looked at bands like BTS, within the K-pop world, and some of the boybands from the '90s. They all share something, they all have undergone a process, they have been assembled by teams of people and that was very fascinating.' Sharing screen space with Hathaway in The Idea of You was 'a large draw' for Galitzine.

'I have been a fan of Annie for a while. She has just been consistent with the incredibly versatile pieces of work. I saw a really interesting story (here) that could sort of appeal to popular culture but also had a beautiful message that kind of seemed to go through the whole story. At this point of my career, I am searching for things that have a wide appeal and are really amazing character pieces. It was a no-brainer for me,' he added.

The Idea of You also stars Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Viktor White, and Dakota Adan.