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MOVIE FEATURE

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Sweeney took ‘suffering for her art’ to a new level while making Anyone But You . Arachnophobes beware, because the actress performs a memorable scene with a gigantic huntsman spider in hand. Aussies are familiar with these terrifying creatures (sometimes dubbed the "puppy dogs" of the arachnid world) yet this particular spider wasn't having a bar of it. In an unexpected turn, it bit her while the camera was rolling, with the cast and crew mistaking her screams for acting. Once bitten, twice shy

Filmed on multiple locations around Sydney, Anyone ButYou benefited enormously from the rumours of a real-life romance between its gorgeous co-stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Words Gill Pringle

I t didn’t matter that the stories were untrue, but when you’re making a film about a couple whose hot first date turns ice cold - later forced to pretend to still be a couple for the benefit of their mutual friends’ wedding - then why not add to the romantic confusion? Certainly given how Sweeney - in her capacity as executive producer - hand-selected Powell as her leading man. “Sydney picked Glen at the very beginning of the process,” admits director Will Gluck. “They were a very appealing couple to me. In a romantic comedy, the whole movie rests on that chemistry, so it was important that we all felt that.” Indeed, the co-stars first locked eyes on stage at the MTV Awards when Powell presented Sweeney with an award. “And I remember walking up, I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’” says the actress, who shot to fame following her

Reenacting a scene from Titanic , Bea ends up falling into the water. Ben jumps in to rescue her, and the ‘couple’ later make plans to tour the Sydney Opera House. Following in the footsteps of his success with Top Gun: Maverick , Powell was keen to try something new, fully embracing the change of scenery that Australia offered. “Coming towards the Sydney Opera House, seeing Sydney there in a pink dress, was amazing,” he recalls. “The wind was blowing, I'm coming in a tuxedo, jumping out, knowing I'm gonna profess my love to her. It was by far the most romantic moment I've ever been a part of!” Explaining the film’s premise, Sweeney says, “As much as Bea hates Ben, and vice versa, it’s important to Bea not to wreck her sister’s wedding. So, she hatches her plan: these two people who actually hate each other will pretend to like each other. But as she and Ben are drawn together, they start to actually love each other, but can’t admit it to themselves. “This movie is a wild, fun time. It’s sexy, it's funny, it's R-rated, there's beautiful places, an amazing cast. What more could you want?” she asks. Furthermore, Sweeney was delighted when veteran director Gluck agreed to helm the film. “He has directed such iconic rom-coms that I grew up watching - Easy A , Friends with Benefits ,” she recalls. “I was really excited to work on this project with him.”

roles in TV’s Euphoria and The White Lotus . “When we were casting this movie, he was always at the top of my list. I couldn't forget that little interaction. And he was a lot of fun to work with; he always has a joke and he was constantly working out, like 24-7 - on top of me, by the side of me, behind me, always doing push-ups. It was the craziest thing ever!” Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing , Anyone But You serves as a luscious love letter to Sydney - featuring scenes

where Sweeney’s Bea and Powell’s Ben dance together at a yacht party on Sydney Harbour.

• Anyone But You is out April 3

Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney

28 APRIL 2024

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