Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You. The new film from Michael Showalter will be this year’s closing night film at South by Southwest Credit: Image Courtesy of Amazon/MGM

It may not be Valentine’s Day quite yet, but love is definitely in the air courtesy of South by Southwest with the announcement that Michael Showalter’s latest movie, The Idea of You, will receive its world premiere as the closing night film for the festival (March 8-16).

The romantic drama will close out the film festival which kicks off with the new version of Eighties classic Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal and features another rough-and-tumble remake, The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling as stunt man Colt Seavers, as the centerpiece selection.

Directed by SXSW veteran Showalter (not just a veteran: a two-time award winner, for My Name is Doris in 2015 and The Big Sick two years later), The Idea of You stars Oscar winner Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine (Bottoms) as lovers in an unlikely romance. The script is adapted by Jennifer Westfeldt from the 2017 debut novel of the same name by actor and writer Robinne Lee.

Here’s how SXSW describes its closing night selection:

The film centers on Solène (Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. When Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes and there is an instant, undeniable spark. As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for.

Alongside Hathaway and Galitzine, the cast includes Ella Rubin, Reid Scott, Annie Mumolo, Viktor White, Raymond Cham, Jaiden Anthony, and Dakota Adan.

“Michael Showalter has done it again. The Idea of You is a sexy, unexpected masterpiece with a fresh perspective on love, age, attraction, and the timeless nature of human connection,” said Claudette Godfrey, SXSW VP of Film & TV. “We can’t wait for our audiences to have fun falling in love with Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine as their irresistible chemistry catches fire!”

SXSW 2024 runs March 8-16. More details and info at sxsw.com. And don’t forget to follow all our coverage, and dig into the archives, at austinchronicle.com/sxsw.

This article appears in January 26 • 2024.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.