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MATINEE IDOL

By Lisa BARROS D'SA, Glenn LEYBURN

CELSIUS ENTERTAINMENT - as SALES All rights, World

Romance - Pre-Production 2025

A hopeless romantic, inspired by the leading men from his favourite classic movies, tries to woo the girl of his dreams by recreating Hollywood’s most beloved love stories only to learn that it takes more than grand gestures to turn fantasy into reality.

- Year of production
- 2025
- Genres
- Romance
- Countries
- UNITED KINGDOM
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Budget
- 5 - 10 M$
- Director(s)
- Lisa BARROS D'SA, Glenn LEYBURN
- Cast
- Asa BUTTERFIELD, Ariana DEBOSE, Nick FROST, Hannah WADDINGHAM
- Producer(s)
- Julia GODZINSKAYA (Rooksnest)
- Synopsis
- Patrick lives in an English country town and works at a small independent cinema brimming with nostalgic charm. He inherited it from his late father along with a love of old Hollywood movies. The business is close to collapse because he refuses to go commercial with his film choices. Every night he sits in the projector room watching classic films on 35mm and mouthing along with the charismatic leading men. He meets Annie, an American girl, on a dating app and they hit it off. But while they engage in pleasant small talk he dreams of grand romantic gestures. In his imagination he acts out scenes from CASABLANCA, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, GREASE, TITANIC, LADY AND THE TRAMP, SAY ANYTHING, NOTTING HILL, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. His silhouetted profile pictures gives little away and he puts off meeting in person; he doesn’t think he’s worthy of someone as cool as her. When eventually she asks to see what he looks like in a panic he sends a photo of his handsome father when he was young- and also gives his name: Mark Willis. He arranges to meet up with the intention of coming clean and introducing himself properly but chickens out. Thinking she’s been stood up Annie tracks down the last known residence of Mark Willis and turns up at Patrick’s front door. Patrick blurts out that Mark was his step brother who died just the other day in a horrific bee attack. Now able to shed the skin of the handsome Mark he can get to know Annie as Patrick. It’s a fresh start and all he has to do is prevent his mother from finding out that Annie thinks she was sexting her late husband. He still dreams of impressing Annie with a big romantic gesture and works up the courage to give it one final shot- but she has plans of her own.