The rom-com queen Anne Hathaway is back but not with empty hands. Bearing rom-com’s renaissance on her coattails, she has made the most clamoring retreat of 2024 in Tinseltown. Familiar as the poster face of love comedy, the Princess of Genovia has had a lasting impression in Hollywood, whose masterpieces have survived the test of time. As fans have always looked forward to this rom-com darling for every return to guilty pleasure, her own return as the rom-com muse cannot be short of any banger. 

In the wake of her endeavors to revive the romantic comedy era with her upcoming film, she recently shed insight into the rationale behind her choice.

What is the reason behind Anne Hathaway’s return to the throne in the rom-com kingdom? 

At the ongoing SXSW Film Festival at Austin’s Paramount Theatre, Anne Hathaway’s upcoming flick, The Idea of You premiered with a lot of buzz. With her return to her seasoned reality, during the post-screening Q&A round, many reporters had questions about the anticipated movie, but one question that became the highlight of the evening was the quiz about her film selection. Hathaway not only addressed the curiosity with composure but even went a little unhinged to say, “I want to have fun, dammit”.

As per the 41-year-old, she would hate to be stereotyped on her selection of movies because of her “gender” or “age” or even for that matter of fact that she won “an Oscar”. For her to return to her established soil stems from the need to have “fun” and find relevance. Since romantic comedy is a genre that she believes “speaks” to her, that should be enough reason for celebration and not intrigue.

Hathaway’s spirited and unfiltered response to the wave of curiosity was in tandem with the emotional rollercoaster of the premiere. But the tonal nature of both the emotional moments was poles apart.

Anne Hathaway delivers a teary speech after The Idea of You premiere

This year’s SXSW Film Festival is full of surprises. First, it came along the lines of confirmation for Taylor Swift’s musical feature in Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy. Now, for the second time, it is all courtesy of the fan-favorite rom-com muse Anne Hathaway. Hence, as the screening began, from the initial touch to the last romantic kiss, fans could barely recover from the screaming shrieks that Hathaway’s rom-com return brought along, leaving the actress in tears.  

Taken aback by the response of the crowd, Hathaway broke into tears reiterating, “I love you so much” after a fan screamed “I love you” after she was speechless for a while. For Hathaway, it was an unforgettable experience, and she ensured the credit went in the right direction for the ones clapping their hands tirelessly. If anything, the crowd’s response and her own reply make the case for her comeback even stronger, and in time, the box office mania shall bear witness to it.

What do you think of Anne Hathaway’s reasoning behind her return to rom-com? Let us know in the comments below!