Sydney Sweeney Explained How She Cleverly Orchestrated The “Anyone But You” Marketing Strategy, And It Proves She’s 10 Steps Ahead Of The Game
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Anyone But You was one of the biggest movies of the past year, making $219 million at the global box office. And it’s fair to say that the film’s success was boosted by all the hype around the real-life dynamic between the lead stars, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
For context, when promotion for the film kicked off in April 2023, Sydney was engaged to her fiancé, Jonathan Davino, while Glen was believed to be in a relationship with model Gigi Paris.
In footage from the movie set and on the film’s subsequent press tour, Sydney and Glen’s off-screen chemistry was so palpable that fans quickly latched on to the theory that the costars were together in real life. And the rumors only got more intense when Gigi hinted on social media that she and Glen had broken up.
Of course, this took the affair speculation to new heights over the following months, prompting Sydney to speak out and say that she and Glen were finding the whole thing quite funny.
“That’s what people want! Glen and I don’t really care,” she told Variety in August. “We have so much fun together, and we respect each other so much; he’s such a hard worker, and I’m a hard worker. We’re excited for the press tour, and I literally just left ADR with him. We talk all the time like, ‘That’s really funny.’”
And while Glen later admitted that he found all the speculation about his personal life “disorienting and unfair,” it seems like it all paid off as Anyone But You became a certified hit.
Despite its December 2023 release, Anyone But You is currently still the 10th-highest-grossing movie of 2024 at the domestic box office.
So, fast-forward to today, and the two stars have reflected on the film’s success during an interview with the New York Times, explaining that the theories about their off-screen relationship were all part of a bigger plan.
“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry,” Glen told the outlet. “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.”
Notably, Glen credited his “very smart” costar for orchestrating the master plan as she recalled how it all came together behind the scenes.
“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.”
Sydney — who produced the film alongside her fiancé — has previously been hailed for her savvy approach to moviemaking. And now, her new quotes are garnering praise once again, with fans describing her as a true mogul in the making.
“She’s like an old school Hollywood mogul,” one X user wrote in response to Sydney’s comments about marketing Anyone But You, as others hailed her “commitment to blurring fiction and truth” to capture the attention of a mass audience.
“She’s playing the GAME,” added another user who suggested we’ll be “seeing her for a looong time” in the movie business.
“She’s very savvy and talented. I’m excited to see where her career goes,” someone else wrote.
Just last month, the 26-year-old drew comparisons to fellow Hollywood stars-turned-producers like Margot Robbie and Reese Witherspoon after she pulled back the curtain on the “strategic” reasoning behind her role in Madame Web.
“To me, that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony,” she told GQ after the movie was a critical and commercial disappointment. “Without doing Madame Web I wouldn’t have a relationship with the decision-makers over there.”
She added: “Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions.”
You can read Glen and Sydney’s full New York Times interview here.
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