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Anyone But You

Anyone But You is a 2023 romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Anyone But You is a 2023 romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Loosely based on William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the film follows two people who pretend to be a couple at a destination wedding in Australia. It was released theatrically in the United States in December 2023 and became a box-office sleeper hit.

Plot

The film follows Bea and Ben, who initially clash after an early romantic connection and later end up pretending to be a couple at a destination wedding in Australia. The story draws loosely on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Cast

The two leads are Sydney Sweeney as Bea and Glen Powell as Ben. The ensemble also features Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.

Production and release

Anyone But You was directed by Will Gluck from a screenplay by Gluck and Ilana Wolpert. It premiered in New York City on December 11, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on December 22, 2023.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Despite that, it became a sleeper hit and grossed about US$220 million worldwide.

Key facts

  • The film is a romantic comedy released in 2023.
  • It was directed by Will Gluck, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
  • The story is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
  • Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell play the lead roles of Bea and Ben.
  • It received mixed reviews from critics but performed strongly at the box office.
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Canadian context

The film had international theatrical distribution and is part of recent mainstream English-language romantic comedy cinema that also reached Canadian audiences.

Frequently asked questions

What is Anyone But You about?
It is about two people, Bea and Ben, who pretend to be a couple at a destination wedding in Australia after an initial romantic connection goes badly.
Who directed Anyone But You?
The film was directed by Will Gluck.
Who stars in Anyone But You?
The lead roles are played by Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
Is Anyone But You based on another work?
Yes. It is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
When was Anyone But You released?
It premiered on December 11, 2023, and was released in U.S. theatres on December 22, 2023.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anyone_but_You
    Supports: Director, cast, release dates, adaptation basis, reception, and box-office gross.
  2. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023
    Supports: Synopsis, genre, runtime, and U.S. theatrical release date.
  3. RogerEbert.com — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anyone-but-you-2023
    Supports: Director, co-writer, loose adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, and basic plot description.