The plot of Colleen Hoover’s new adaptation “Regretting You” is a bit wild. There’s romance, affairs, unrequited love, death and even a child of questionable paternity.
Dave Franco, whose character was long courted by Allison Williams but ends up having a baby with his sister who is having an affair with his brother-in-law, had someone recently say to him, “What was that about Maury Povich?”
While fodder for tabloid talk shows, Hoover’s novels have influenced audiences and Hollywood. “It End’s With Us” grossed more than $350 million worldwide against a $25 million budget and “Regretting You” is one of several big screen adaptations in theaters on Friday.
Franco said, “I think Colleen Hoover is incredible when it comes to dealing with these chaotic family dynamics in a way that feels relatable.” “I think everyone who watches this movie can relate to at least one character. It’s juicy, it’s dramatic.”
Scott Eastwood plays Franco’s best friend and Williams’ husband. Mason Thames plays a high school student who begins dating Eastwood and Williams’ teenage daughter, played by Mckenna Grace, after her father and aunt die in a car accident. Does not scratch the complex surface.
The Associated Press gathered the people behind the drama, Franco, Eastwood and Thames, for a candid conversation about the film, the romantic touchstones, the shirtless scenes and Eastwood’s Taylor Swift music video. Comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Franco: Scott, I don’t know if you know this, did anyone tell you that we all watched the “Wildest Dreams” video on set?
Eastwood: No.
Thames: I remember that! We all did it.
Franco: Mckenna didn’t realize that person was you. Like it’s a video that’s dear to his heart, and he put it together in this moment: Scott is the guy from the “Wildest Dreams” video. He immediately called his mother. She says “Scott’s that guy.” And we heard his mother on the phone saying, “No!” With that video you have made a place in the hearts of many people.
Eastwood: I had never met Taylor Swift before. He called me suddenly. She said, “Hey it’s Taylor.” Who am I, like Taylor?
Thames: When I first met Scott I told him this, I thought, from years before I knew him: The best looking man I’ve ever seen.
Franco: And what was Scott’s reaction?
Eastwood: I’m very sorry, this is your interview.
Eastwood: It’s “The Notebook.”
Thames: “Spider-Man 2.”
Eastwood: Didn’t see that coming.
Franco: I’d go with “Stand By Me.” Classic, timeless, gives you a little bit of everything. You got drama, you got laughter, you got tears. What about “Jerry Maguire”?
Eastwood: It’s a tear, like not crying.
Franco: I’m letting those tears fall, Scott. I think our director, Josh Boone, his mentor might have been Cameron Crowe: “Jerry Maguire,” “Almost Famous,” “Say Anything.” Those movies that have a little bit of everything and feel timeless.
Thames: “The Notebook” was mine. Me and Mckenna also watched “The Notebook” and “10 Things I Hate About You” and “The Fault in Our Stars.”
Franco: In “Regretting You” you guys have a really intense emotional attraction to each other. It’s almost like Romeo and Juliet.
Thames: That’s what we wanted. It’s something so special that we haven’t seen in movies like this for so long, it’s the magic and passion between two love relationships.
Franco: Scott, who were your reference characters?
Eastwood: Mostly all my romantic movies.
Franco: Name them! Name them!
Eastwood: Guys, it’s a long list.
Franco: I used the show “Normal People” just because those characters go through this journey over the years and they have these peaks and valleys and there’s a really strong history between them. Plus those actors are very subtle, very real, very vulnerable.
Thames: At the end of the day, he’s just a boy. I think this is the character I have played that is most similar to me.
Franco: I’m going to praise him. When you look back at James Dean and Montgomery Clift, they were actors who were obviously very strong and powerful and had great presence, but they were also extremely sensitive and not afraid to show that kind of sensitive side. I think Mason has plenty of it.
Thames: I paid him a lot to say that.
Franco: Scott should start it.
Eastwood: It’s two. But the scale is from one to three. So it’s in between. I don’t pay attention to that thing. I just think we made a good film. That’s all we can really do. Try to pay homage to books.
Franco: Scott is shirtless for a while in this movie.
Eastwood: That’s a lie!
Franco: That’s not a lie.
Eastwood: When am I shirtless in the movie?
Franco: On the beach!
Eastwood: Oh that’s right.
Thames: That’s why you should go see “Regretting You.” I am also shirtless. He is also shirtless.
Franco: No, they cut my shirtless scene.
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