Quick Links
Summary
The success ofAnyone But You,starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney,suggests Hollywood could bring back postmodern Shakespearean adaptations. The storyline andcharacters inAnyone But Youfollow a classic enemies-to-lovers plot based on William Shakespeare’sMuch Ado About Nothing. Similar to numerous Shakespearean film adaptations from earlier years, this 2024 film is a work of postmodernism. One of the main properties of postmodern art is parody, but not always in a comedic way. A postmodern parody could include altering an original piece, likeAnyone But Youdoes toMuch Ado About Nothing,to suit current times.
Glen Powell has been attracting a lot of attention this year because of his roles inAnyone But YouandTwisters. The Shakespearean romantic comedy was successful on its own, earning $220 million at the box office. These earnings allowed thisromantic comedy to pass global box office milestones. The ongoing success ofTwisterscould even draw more attention toAnyone But Youdue to Powell’s leading roles in both films. All ofthis success could lead to Hollywood releasing more postmodern Shakespearean romantic comedies.
Glen Powell’s New Movie Repeats The Formula Of Last Year’s $219M Hit - But Is Now Even Better
Glen Powell’s latest romantic comedy is a major step up from his 2023 classic with Sydney Sweeney, which far surpassed box office expectations.
Shakespearean Rom-Coms Were Very Popular In The ’90s & Early 2000s
These Sparked A Surge Of Shakespearean Stories In The Current World
Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, postmodern Shakespeare adaptations emerged, particularly in romantic comedies. A couple of examples includeShe’s The Manand10 Things I Hate About You. Thesefilms use postmodernist artistic methods to show how Shakespearean stories are still relevant in current times.There are significant differences between these films and their original works. However, the basic storyline and characters are often still present to highlight the themes in Shakespeare’s plays while introducing new things to the work.
Several postmodern romantic comedies from the 1990s and early 2000s were not just based on Shakespearean plays. Sydney White is based on The Brothers Grimm’s story Snow White. Additionally, Clueless is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma.
Not all of these postmodern adaptations were exactly romantic comedies, asRomeo + Julietis technically a tragedy. Yet, it is still another film that proves how Shakespearean stories carry relevant themes. Ironically, one of the last Shakespearean postmodern films turns this tragic story into a comedy. This film isWarm Bodies, in which the Romeo character, R (Nicholas Hoult), is a zombie. Theending ofWarm Bodieseven has the star-crossed lovers live, unlike Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet. This filmproves Shakespeare’s continuing relevance and shows that it is okay even slightly to change the story.
The Success Of Glen Powell’s Anyone But You Could Revive This Rom-Com Trend
The Success Of More Of His Films Could Even Initiate This Revival
Anyone But Youthrived despite its 55% Rotten Tomatoesscore, and this success makes it possible to revive the postmodern Shakespearean romantic comedy. This trend is even more likely if Glen Powell continues to star in more films likeTwisters. More roles from Sydney Sweeney could also direct more attention towardsAnyone Like You. However, she would need to star in roles that include some romantic tension with another character, as Powell’s character does inTwisters. Then, themovie’s ongoing success could have a better chance of reviving the Shakespearean romantic comedy trend.
If most of them are successful, then the postmodern Shakespearean adaptation trend could undoubtedly experience a full-length revival.
If there aremore Shakespearean romantic comedies in the future, especially those with a postmodern take, cinema could continue to prove Shakespeare’s relevance.Anyone But Youis a good start to this potential trend revival. However, more Shakespearean comedies besidesMuch Ado About Nothingneedto be adapted. Perhaps there could be even more adaptations, likeWarm Bodies,that take his tragedies and turn them into comedies. Exploring this notion could open up a wide range of relevant Shakespearean adaptations. If most of them are successful, then the postmodern Shakespearean adaptation trend could undoubtedly experience a full-length revival.
Glen Powell’sAnyone But Yousuccess is not surprising, but hopefully, it sparks the revival of Shakespearean romantic comedies. Evenif this trend does not revive its postmodern aspect, more films adapting Shakespeare’s plays would further establish Shakespeare’s relevance.This establishment could open up more possibilities for exploring his work in films in all kinds of creative directions. If the success ofAnyone But Youworks, and this trend is revived, it will be enticing to see what style the Shakespearean adaptations have in Hollywood’s future.
Anyone But You
Cast
Anyone But You is a romantic comedy by director Will Gluck starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell. Sweeny and Powell star as Bea and Ben, two strangers with an incredible first date that goes sour following one incident at the tail end. Thinking the worst is behind them, the two are roped into a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia, where they’ll have to pretend to be a couple despite absolutely hating each other.
