The sparks were flying at the official premiere of Amazon Prime’s provocative new film “The Idea of You” in New York City on Wednesday night. Stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine turned up the heat on the red carpet, smoldering in glamorous looks befitting the racy romantic drama.
Hathaway, 40, was a vision in a show stopping scarlet gown that hugged her curves with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. The Oscar winner went full bombshell for the big night, pairing the crimson number with strappy heels and tousled waves. Her dashing 28-year-old British co-star Galitzine looked equally dapper in a classic black tuxedo.
The pair, who have been generating plenty of buzz for their undeniable on-screen chemistry, cozied up together as they worked the red carpet at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Hathaway and Galitzine shared laughs and playful moments, posing arm-in-arm as a real-life example of the older woman/younger man dynamic at the center of the film.
Based on the 2017 novel by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” stars Hathaway as Solène, a 39-year-old divorced mom who falls for the 24-year-old pop star (Galitzine’s character Hayes) she’s tasked with chaperoning during her daughter’s vacation. Their torrid May-December affair kicks off an exploration of female sexuality and desire that has already drawn comparisons to “Younger” and sparked some backlash for the controversial romantic plot.
But the leading stars seemed completely unfazed and fully leaned into the film’s provocative premise at Wednesday’s celebratory premiere. Hathaway has been outspoken in interviews about intentionally wanting to make audiences uncomfortable with the frank depiction of feminine sensuality.
Joining Hathaway and Galitzine on the red carpet were other cast members like Megan Suri, who plays Hathaway’s on-screen daughter. Director Michael Showalter and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt were also on hand at the Manhattan event, just days before the movie’s May 12 streaming debut on Prime Video.
The glamorous premiere capped weeks of buildup as the stars have been hitting the promotional trail hard. Hathaway and Galitzine’s feverish press tour has included countless interviews, talk show appearances and even a cheeky Saturday Night Live skit poking fun at their age gap.
While “The Idea of You” is already courting controversy, the heatseekers of the film seemed to fully embrace the debate around the buzzworthy release at the official coming out party. If their red carpet energy is any indication, Hathaway and Galitzine are prepared to turn up the temperature even higher as the film arrives on streaming and really gets audiences talking.
With its frank exploration of female desire from a candid perspective, “The Idea of You” is shaping up to be a cultural lightning rod all summer long. The passionate premiere was just the opening salvo in the conversation soon to captivate pop culture.