Glen Powell & Sydney Sweeney Admit To Leaning Into Romance Rumors To Promote ‘Anyone But You’: “It Worked Wonderfully”

Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are opening up about the marketing behind their hit rom-com Anyone But You.

The film grossed $219M at the worldwide box office since its release in December. Now Powell and Sweeney are talking about the rumors they were having an affair leading up to the premiere that helped attract moviegoers to see the film.

“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry,” Powell said in an interview with The New York Times. “Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry. That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart.”

Sweeney not only starred in the Columbia Pictures film, she also served as an executive producer through her Fifty-Fifty Films company and was deeply involved in the marketing strategy.

“I was on every call. I was in text group chats. I was probably keeping everybody over at Sony marketing and distribution awake at night because I couldn’t stop with ideas,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that we were actively having a conversation with the audience as we were promoting this film, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who created the entire narrative.”

Anyone But You was directed by Will Gluck from a screenplay co-written by Ilana Wolpert and Gluck, loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The film also starred Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet and Rachel Griffiths.