As a seasoned gamer who grew up during the golden age of pop culture, I must say that the recent resurgence of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” in not one but two romantic comedies has brought back a wave of nostalgia. It was the anthem of my teenage years, and hearing it again in both Anyone But You and Sweethearts has been quite a trip down memory lane.
Have you ever found yourself gazing at a blank page, only for the light of inspiration to shine through and bring your hidden words to life? That’s precisely what Natasha Bedingfield did when she penned the lyrics for her popular song “Unwritten” back in 2004. Recently, this tune has been resurrected in not one, but two romantic comedies! Following the viral success of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s film “Anyone But You,” which incorporated the song, the new Max production titled “Sweethearts” also made use of it. Contrary to popular belief, though, it wasn’t a nod to the previous film; they were separate references.
When TopMob engaged with the actors from the movie “Sweethearts“, they found it highly amusing that “Unwritten” was featured in two of their films. Here’s a peek at what the main cast members had to share on this surprising connection:
Kiernan Shipka expresses her viewpoint as follows: “Unwritten seems to be a work for all audiences. I believe it resonates with the masses and I find it incredibly moving – it’s almost like a unifying anthem.
Nico Hiraga: “But, we had it first.”
Absolutely, I concur with Kiernan’s insightful statement and I also find myself in agreement with Nico’s well-expressed thoughts.
Here’s an interesting tidbit: Did you know that the writers of “Sweethearts” discovered the song “Unwritten” from “Anyone But You” only after it turned into a massive box-office hit last year? Jordan Weiss, the writer and director, shared this with me.
Five years ago, we included that tune in the script for sure. Just picture us watching Anyone But You in the theater, having already filmed the movie. It wasn’t feasible to swap songs at that point since he was singing it on camera. When I saw him performing it, I remember feeling like I collapsed onto the floor of the AMC, thinking ‘Another film uses our song’. But it’s all good.
According to Weiss, the duo “Sweethearts” actually had the song first since they incorporated it into their script as a nod to its popularity during their middle school years. They aimed to capture the essence of the early 2000s in their movie, as the song was quite significant for them back then. As Jordan Weiss further explained (in the video above):
That song is absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t believe it when I heard how often [Anyone But You] used it. The first time I listened to it, I thought it was just going to be a one-time thing, not a big deal. But by the end, the whole cast was performing the closing credits! I was texting Dan saying, “We’ve got an issue.” (Informal)
It’s quite a coincidence that Weiss and Brier had been developing “Sweethearts” with the same song in mind for their romantic comedy, unaware that another movie would use the same track, “Unwritten,” in a humorous scene 11 months prior. While watching this other film, Weiss found herself tense as she witnessed the extensive use of “Unwritten,” and she immediately reached out to her co-writer and best friend, expressing her concerns. Nonetheless, they are delighted to share this beloved tune. As Weiss put it:
That song was very nostalgic to us. But I will say you know, Will Gluck gets a shout out ’cause he used Pocketful of Sunshine and Easy A, so he had claimed to Natasha… But also, nothing but love to Will Gluck and Alana Wall and the writers of Anyone But You.
1) They’re very good-natured regarding the entire situation! Moreover, Sweethearts is a unique film in its own right. It features Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga as best friends who both decide to end their high school relationships during the same Thanksgiving break week after realizing the constraints of being bound by college commitments. Meanwhile, another friend embarks on an essential queer coming-out journey in his small-town Midwest home while taking a break from his life in Paris.
The song ‘Unwritten’ is fantastic, and it doesn’t surprise us at all that it’s receiving a great response in the movies. Currently, you can stream ‘Sweethearts’ with a Max subscription.
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2024-12-04 19:37