Following the large success, fans will see another installment of Red, White and Royal Blue starring Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez.
The adaptation of the Casey McQuiston’s bestseller, which last year came in as one of its top three most-watched romantic comedies of all time, sees Amazon MGM Studios greenlighting development on a sequel.
Matthew Lopez has returned to write the script for the upcoming movie alongside McQuiston.
Berlanti Schechter Films’ Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter will return to produce the film, joined by the banner’s Michael McGrath, as well as López. McQuiston will executive produce.
The first movie saw Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), who upon his mother’s (Uma Thurman) election as President, helps her on the campaign trail all while dating a Royal family member Prince Henry (Galitzine)
Details as to the sequel’s plot are under wraps. News of its development was announced during a Q&A tonight following a screening of the film at the Culver Theater, which came ahead of Amazon’s inaugural upfront presentation, scheduled for May 14.
Red, White & Royal Blue was also said to have generated “a huge surge” in subscribers for the streaming platform, per a spokesperson.
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EW recently asked Perez and Galitzine about a potential sequel on The Awardist podcast. “I’m over here glazed over because this is the question I get every day in my life,” Perez quipped. “I’m waiting for Casey to announce the second book… Matthew got the opportunity to adapt it, but Casey is the brain behind this world and these characters. And you would want Casey’s touch in there because they’re so smart and kind.”
Perez also commented on the importance of the film and its themes to the broader world. “To have another one of those films like this that had such a great response, and in countries where it’s quite literally illegal to be queer in these countries, it was No. 1 on Amazon,” he said. “So you know that throughout the world, where there’s eight billion people, there’s eight percent of them identify as LGBTQIA+, that’s 640 million people that are watching this. Hopefully. You would love to affect that many people. And then the community around them, I think it’s just as important for those a part of the community and those that are not part of the community to watch this project and just learn something, enjoy it, laugh.”
In a conversation with What’s Trending, Tony-award winner Matthew Lopez also stated that he would not have wanted to make the movie at all if the team could not find the real life personas to play the lead characters.
Lopez went on to note, “Red, White & Royal Blue is a modern fairy tale that defies conventions. It is a fun romantic comedy in the tradition of classic Hollywood romances but with very contemporary characters. Alex and Henry are two young men whose lives have been constrained by assumptions about who they are. I think there is something lovely about the fact that the profound and even revolutionary act of loving each other allows them to challenge the hand they’ve been dealt…and, perhaps more importantly, to accept themselves for who they are.”
In addition to casting, director Matthew Lopez mentioned that the production team set an ‘incredibly high bar for what they want to achieve with the movie.’ Knowing the book had a large fanbase, the team wanted to honor the novel and create something that was ‘built to last’ and ‘stick in people’s minds.’
As of late, Galitzine starred in The Idea of You also on Prime Video alongside Anne Hathaway. He also stars opposite Julianne Moore and Tony Curran in Starz’s historical drama Mary & George.
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Perez has also been seen in The Kissing Booth films, Starz’s Minx and other projects.
Galitzine is repped by Curtis Brown Group, WME, Anonymous Content, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Perez by Paradigm, Principal Entertainment LA, and Felker Toczek Suddleson; López by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; and McQuiston by KT Literary, UTA, and Alexander, Lawrence, Frumes & Labowitz.
