Let them eat (wedding) cake!
The much-anticipated sequel to the hit rom-com “Red, White & Royal Blue,” starring Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez, has officially been greenlit at Amazon MGM Studios. Jamie Babbit (“But I’m a Cheerleader,” “Only Murders in the Building”) has come aboard to direct the film, which has officially been titled “Red, White & Royal Wedding.”
The original film followed Claremont-Diaz (Zakhar Perez), the First Son of the United States, and Prince Henry (Galitzine), third in line to the British throne, unexpectedly transform from bitter enemies to passionate lovers and attempt to navigate their blossoming relationship out of the international spotlight.
“After seeing the incredible outpouring of love for ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ from fans around the world, it’s clear Alex and Henry’s story truly resonated with audiences,” said Julie Rapaport, head of film, production and development at Amazon MGM. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue that journey with Jamie Babbit at the helm — her sharp comedic sensibility and heartfelt storytelling make her the perfect director to build on the magic of the first film, in which Matthew López beautifully brought to life from Casey McQuiston’s beloved book.” Crediting the full creative team, Rapaport added, “We can’t wait to bring fans an unforgettable new chapter in their love story.”
Babbit is a multiple Emmy-nominated director and executive producer whose resume includes Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Prime Video’s “My Lady Jane,” HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” FX’s “Married” and the GLAAD award-winning Prime Video series “A League of Their Own, as well as the upcoming Fox series “Best Medicine.” Babbit directed the seminal romantic comedy movie “But I’m a Cheerleader,” as well as “The Itty Bitty Titty Committee,” which won the grand jury prize at the SXSW film festival.
“After directing ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ in my twenties, I’m thrilled to be back in the queer love universe of ‘Red, White & Royal Wedding,’” said Babbit. “We all need this kind of optimism, fantasy and gay joy. I’m thrilled to work with this brilliant team.”
Babbit will direct the sequel from a script by Gemma Burgess, López and “Red, White & Royal Blue” author McQuiston. Details of the film’s plot are being kept under wraps, but given the title, it’s safe to assume that our winsome couple will be headed down the aisle.
“Working with this team to bring ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ to life has been a dream come true, and I hope readers and watchers alike will love how the story continues in the sequel,” said McQuiston. “I’m so grateful to Matthew for all his hard work on the first movie and in co-creating this new story with me, and I know that Jamie has the vision, wit, and tenderness to take great care of Alex and Henry from here.”
Likewise, López shared his excitement for the franchise to continue. “It’s been a blast to dream up the next chapter of their story as a producer and co-writer and I’m delighted to be passing the directing baton to Jamie, whose vision and sense of humor will be a perfect match for our film.”
Berlanti Schechter Films’ Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter also return to produce the sequel, joined by the banner’s Michael McGrath, as well as López and Sullivan Street Productions’ Jennifer Salke. McQuiston and Michael Constable will executive produce.
“What a dream to be able to return to the world of Red, White & Royal Blue,” said Berlanti and Schechter, heaping praise on their collaborative partners and the studio. “There is no filmmaker better suited to direct this film than Jamie Babbit. Her decades of championing Queer stories and her track record of delivering smart, funny, heartwarming films and television gives us great confidence. … More than anyone, we want to thank the fans whose passion fueled this sequel. We are fans too and can’t wait to see Nick and Taylor as Henry and Alex together again.”
Salke, who greenlit the original film during her tenure at Amazon, added: “Having a front row seat to witness how ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ connected with audiences was exhilarating. Fans all over the world not only embraced Alex and Henry’s love story but continue to be invested and can’t wait to see more.”
The sequel has been in the works since last summer, but Amazon MGM has not yet announced whether the sequel will premiere on streaming or receive a theatrical release. At the Emmys last month, Zakhar Perez played coy when Variety’s Marc Malkin asked for an update.
“Don’t tell me anything, because if I’m asked about it, it’s going to be tough not to Tom Holland it and talk a little Spider-Man,’” he said, explaining why he didn’t want to know details about what’s to come.
Babbit is represented by UTA and attorney Michael Auerbach; Galitzine is represented by Curtis Brown Group, WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, The Lede Company, and Gang, Tyre, and Johnson Shapiro; Zakhar Perez is represented by WME, Principal Entertainment LA, The Lede Company, and Felker Toczek; and Burgess is represented by UTA and Kaplan/Perrone.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
