Join Caitlynn McDaniel in a captivating chat with Michael Showalter about bringing "The Idea of You" to life. Discover what sparked his joy in the project, from exploring the unique dynamics between a boy band superstar and a single mom to orchestrating a mini Coachella. Showalter shares insights on the cold yet vibrant filming experiences, the chemistry between Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, and his hopes for viewers to see Solene as a strong, empowering character. Dive into the making of this enchanting film!
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00I am Caitlin McDaniel. I'm with Gayety and Rainbow Media Co. It's wonderful to see you. How are you feeling today?
00:06Hi, Caitlin. I'm good. How are you?
00:08I'm great. I'm so excited to chat. I mean, just to get us rolling into it, I really just want to know what really sparked your joy with this project and what made you want to bring it to life.
00:18I'm just interested, really interested, in these characters as people. What is it like for the biggest singer of the biggest boy band on the planet to meet with this woman who's a single mom and living her life?
00:35What are these two people like? What are they like when they're together? What would their relationship be like? What obstacles do they face?
00:43And then also, just all the great opportunities for great music and costumes and all of that stuff. Just from a filmmaking standpoint, there's just so much to work with.
00:53Absolutely. And it's just such a fun experience. It's a fun road we go down. I personally loved the Coachella scene that we get to see. And I wanted to ask you, I mean, how much of what audiences are seeing is actually real from that scene, especially?
01:08We built a giant stage on a giant field. So we kind of created our own little mini Coachella. There's not as many people there as it looks like. But we had our own little mini concert out on a giant field. And it was pretty cool.
01:24It sounds super fun. Less dusty, I would assume.
01:27Less dusty, yes. Quite a bit less. It was actually very cold.
01:31Oh, wow.
01:32Yeah, you can even see there's steam or whatever coming out of their mouths. Because we shot the movie in November, December. So we're actually in Atlanta when we were shooting that. And so it was quite cold out. But no, I mean, it was like blasting music. All the crew, we were all dancing and having fun. And it was great. It was a really fun night.
01:59And so many people have raved about the chemistry between Annie and Nicholas. And I have to agree. But you seeing it firsthand, how would you describe kind of their dynamic?
02:09I mean, we just, you know, it's funny, like, I, you know, we knew that they were absolutely perfect for each other. And, you know, we cast Nick, Ann was attached before I ever knew about the project. But we cast Nick, and very much felt like we'd found the right guy.
02:28And then just every day, just coming into set, working together, having fun, seeing them create their characters and sort of become these two people and go on this journey. For me, it was awesome. It was great.
02:42Absolutely. And I just have to say, I love Solene's journey that we get to see. What are you hoping people take away from from watching her character grow?
02:51I mean, I always want to hopefully make, tell a story with the films I do that is entertaining and fun and all of those things, but also maybe shows an audience like what a better world could look like.
03:06And so I hope that women and men too, but see Solene as a powerful woman who's making her own decisions. And she's a mom, but she's also a sexual being. And she's got hopes and dreams and all of those things. And she's just making her own decisions for herself.
03:28And I think she's a really powerful character and a great role model for, I hope men and women see her character and see a great example of what it's like to be an adult.
03:41Yes, 100% agree. Thank you so much for your time.
03:45Thank you, Caitlin.
03:46Thank you.