# Anyone but You
**Anyone but You** is a 2023 American romantic comedy directed by [Will Gluck](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-gluck), starring [Sydney Sweeney](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-sweeney) as Bea and [Glen Powell](https://www.edgepedia.org/glen-powell) as Ben, two exes who pretend to be a couple at a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia after a first date that ends badly.[1](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/anyonebutyou) It is a loose modernization of William Shakespeare's *Much Ado About Nothing*, written by Ilana Wolpert and Gluck for Columbia Pictures.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k) Released in theaters on December 22, 2023 to a weak $6 million opening weekend and mixed reviews, it became a word-of-mouth sleeper hit that finished with a worldwide gross of $220.3 million on a $25 million budget.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/19/allowed-to-be-sexy-how-did-anyone-but-you-become-a-surprise-box-office-hit) • [4](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2026-01-11.pdf) • [5](https://blog.frame.io/2024/03/14/spicing-up-shakespeare-with-the-editors-of-anyone-but-you/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | December 22, 2023 (theatrical, wide); R rating; 103 minutes[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023) |
| Director and writers | Will Gluck; story by Ilana Wolpert, screenplay by Wolpert and Gluck[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k) |
| Source | Loose adaptation of Shakespeare's *Much Ado About Nothing*[7](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/) |
| Budget and gross | $25 million budget; $220.3 million worldwide[4](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2026-01-11.pdf) • [5](https://blog.frame.io/2024/03/14/spicing-up-shakespeare-with-the-editors-of-anyone-but-you/) |
| Reception | 53% on the Tomatometer from 118 critics; 87% audience score on the Popcornmeter[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023) |
| Filming location | Sydney, Australia, including the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and Palm Beach[8](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/location-manager-jeremy-peek-on-why-sydney-was-the-ideal-location-for-hit-rom-com-anyone-but-you/) |
| Signature song | Natasha Bedingfield's 2004 single "Unwritten," Ben's "serenity song" and the anchor of the end-credits sequence[9](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anyone-but-you-2023) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and cast
After an amazing first date, something goes wrong and Bea (Sweeney), an unsure law student, and Ben (Powell), a finance professional, turn their attraction into mutual dislike.[1](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/anyonebutyou) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/21/anyone-but-you-movie-review-sydney-sweeney-glen-powell) Months later they are reunited at a destination wedding in Australia, where Ben's childhood friend is marrying Bea's sister. To survive the wedding, and to deflect Bea's ex Jonathan and her interfering family, they pretend to be a couple.[1](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/anyonebutyou) • [7](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/)
The supporting cast includes [Alexandra Shipp](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandra-shipp), GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, and [Rachel Griffiths](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-griffiths); Mulroney and Griffiths play Bea's parents, Leo and Innie.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k) • [11](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/anyone-but-you-release-date-news) Sweeney also served as an executive producer alongside Jonathan Davino and others, with Gluck, Joe Roth, and Jeff Kirschenbaum producing.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k)
## The Shakespeare connection
Wolpert wrote the script as a spec during the pandemic after deciding that *Much Ado About Nothing* would make a strong modern rom-com; Gluck later joined and moved the setting to Australia.[12](https://www.tellmiaboutthat.com/interviews/behind-the-scenes-with-illana-wolpert-the-creator-of-anyone-but-you-2nw6e) The borrowing runs deeper than the enemies-to-lovers plot, which echoes the "merry war" between Beatrice and Benedick: the leads' names derive from the play's characters, a bedside book titled *Men Were Deceivers Ever* quotes a line from the play, and the final montage plays out under a huge sign reading "Much Ado About Nothing."[7](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/) The film replaces the play's "Sigh No More" theme with [Natasha Bedingfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/natasha-bedingfield)'s 2004 self-empowerment anthem "[Unwritten](https://www.edgepedia.org/unwritten-song)," which Ben listens to on repeat when he feels afraid.[13](https://shakespeareassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-Abstracts-Rethinking-Fidelity-One.pdf)
## Production in Sydney
Gluck had wanted to showcase Sydney on film since making the *Peter Rabbit* movies there, and set the film in the city deliberately; even the early US-set scenes were shot in Sydney.[14](https://www.timeout.com/sydney/news/sydney-on-screen-filming-anyone-but-you-in-the-harbour-city-121923) Location manager Jeremy Peek, whose credits include *Mad Max: Fury Road*, scouted the city's landmarks, including the [Sydney Opera House](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-opera-house), Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and Palm Beach; filming at the Opera House required extended negotiations because Gluck wanted a large-scale romantic gesture there.[8](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/location-manager-jeremy-peek-on-why-sydney-was-the-ideal-location-for-hit-rom-com-anyone-but-you/) The production was supported by Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund, and Gluck has said the [Bondi Beach](https://www.edgepedia.org/bondi-beach) sequence was filmed without visual effects.[8](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/location-manager-jeremy-peek-on-why-sydney-was-the-ideal-location-for-hit-rom-com-anyone-but-you/) • [15](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/anyone-director-gluck-guide-sydney-190000552.html)
## Box office and the marketing campaign
Sony released the film in the Christmas corridor with low expectations; executives reportedly woke up on Christmas Day convinced it was a dud after the $6 million opening weekend.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/19/allowed-to-be-sexy-how-did-anyone-but-you-become-a-surprise-box-office-hit) Instead, the film outgrossed its debut in each subsequent US weekend, helped by positive word of mouth and a lack of winter releases aimed at female audiences, and it ultimately earned about $88 million in the United States and $220.3 million worldwide.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/19/allowed-to-be-sexy-how-did-anyone-but-you-become-a-surprise-box-office-hit) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023) • [4](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2026-01-11.pdf) That total reportedly makes it the highest-grossing adaptation of Shakespeare's *Much Ado About Nothing*.[16](https://cinematographer.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Issue-102_finalwebres-AC-Mag.pdf)
**Rumors as marketing.** During production and release, tabloid speculation about a real-life romance between Sweeney and Powell became a major publicity story, and Netflix's promotional coverage described the pair as having "embarked on a steamy PR campaign."[11](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/anyone-but-you-release-date-news) The two stars skewered the rumors during Sweeney's *Saturday Night Live* appearance and posted a TikTok video of them whispering to each other that drew a reported 18 million views, more than the 10 million views of the film's official trailer.[7](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/) The end-credits sequence, in which the cast dances and sings along to "Unwritten," sparked a viral TikTok trend of audiences filming their own singalongs in theaters.[8](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/location-manager-jeremy-peek-on-why-sydney-was-the-ideal-location-for-hit-rom-com-anyone-but-you/)
## Reception
Critics were mixed. The Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus calls it "a passably fizzy diversion despite a less than scintillating story," backed by a 53% score from 118 reviews, while audiences gave it 87%.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023) The Guardian's review called it "slick but soulless," finding the leads unconvincing as enemies.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/21/anyone-but-you-movie-review-sydney-sweeney-glen-powell) RogerEbert.com, by contrast, scored it 88 and praised the charm, wit, and star chemistry it found missing from recent entries in the genre.[17](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/anyone-but-you/critic-reviews/) Sweeney has publicly acknowledged the negative reviews while pointing to the film's connection with audiences.[18](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/sydney-sweeney-knows-anyone-but-you-got-negative-reviews-critics-i-appreciate-her-take)
The film's theatrical run became a talking point for the industry: director Gluck argued that the communal theater experience was a big part of its success, and commentators cited it as evidence that Hollywood had been too quick to abandon the romantic comedy as a big-screen proposition.[7](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/) • [19](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/newsletter/2024-02-06/what-does-anyone-but-yous-box-office-success-mean-for-romcoms-we-asked-the-director-the-wide-shot)
## Home media and streaming
The film reached digital platforms on February 20, 2024 and DVD and Blu-ray on March 12, 2024.[20](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/anyone-but-you/nBsX511rU9pH3zF0JEWIK6/where-to-watch/) It later streamed on Netflix before moving to other services; it arrived on [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) on October 20, 2026, and as of late 2026 streams on Hulu, HBO Max, fuboTV, [YouTube TV](https://www.edgepedia.org/youtube-tv), and FXNow, with rental from $3.99 and purchase from $14.99.[21](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2209679-anyone-but-you-hbo-max-today) • [22](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/anyone-but-you)
## References
1. [Anyone But You, Sony Pictures Entertainment](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/anyonebutyou)
2. [Anyone But You, Official Teaser Trailer, Sony Pictures Entertainment (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k)
3. ["Allowed to be sexy": how did Anyone But You become a surprise box office hit?, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/19/allowed-to-be-sexy-how-did-anyone-but-you-become-a-surprise-box-office-hit)
4. [Screendollars Newsletter, January 11, 2026](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2026-01-11.pdf)
5. [Spicing Up Shakespeare With the Editors of "Anyone But You", Frame.io Insider](https://blog.frame.io/2024/03/14/spicing-up-shakespeare-with-the-editors-of-anyone-but-you/)
6. [Anyone But You (2023), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anyone_but_you_2023)
7. [The Surprising Literary Inspiration Behind Anyone But You, TIME](https://time.com/6970141/anyone-but-you-netflix-shakespeare/)
8. [Location Manager Jeremy Peek on why Sydney was the ideal location for hit rom-com Anyone But You, Ausfilm](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/location-manager-jeremy-peek-on-why-sydney-was-the-ideal-location-for-hit-rom-com-anyone-but-you/)
9. [Anyone But You movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anyone-but-you-2023)
10. [Anyone But You review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/21/anyone-but-you-movie-review-sydney-sweeney-glen-powell)
11. [Anyone But You Netflix: Cast, Release Date, Book, Plot, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/anyone-but-you-release-date-news)
12. [Behind the Scenes with Ilana Wolpert, the creator of Anyone But You, Tell MIAbout That](https://www.tellmiaboutthat.com/interviews/behind-the-scenes-with-illana-wolpert-the-creator-of-anyone-but-you-2nw6e)
13. [2025 Abstracts: Rethinking Fidelity, Shakespeare Association of America](https://shakespeareassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-Abstracts-Rethinking-Fidelity-One.pdf)
14. [Sydney on screen: Filming Anyone But You in the Harbour City, Time Out Sydney](https://www.timeout.com/sydney/news/sydney-on-screen-filming-anyone-but-you-in-the-harbour-city-121923)
15. [Anyone But You Director Will Gluck's Guide to Sydney, Australia, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/anyone-director-gluck-guide-sydney-190000552.html)
16. [Anyone But You, Australian Cinematographer Magazine Issue 102](https://cinematographer.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Issue-102_finalwebres-AC-Mag.pdf)
17. [Anyone But You critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/anyone-but-you/critic-reviews/)
18. [Sydney Sweeney Knows Anyone But You Got Negative Reviews From Critics, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/sydney-sweeney-knows-anyone-but-you-got-negative-reviews-critics-i-appreciate-her-take)
19. [Anyone But You shows that the big-screen romcom never died, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/newsletter/2024-02-06/what-does-anyone-but-yous-box-office-success-mean-for-romcoms-we-asked-the-director-the-wide-shot)
20. [Anyone but You (2023): Where to Watch & Stream, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/anyone-but-you/nBsX511rU9pH3zF0JEWIK6/where-to-watch/)
21. [Anyone But You Hits HBO Max Streaming, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2209679-anyone-but-you-hbo-max-today)
22. [Anyone but You streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/anyone-but-you)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2023*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license