A24’s “The Drama” is set to arrive on HBO Max July 31.
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, “The Drama” follows soon-to-be-married couple Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) in the week leading up to their wedding. Their relationship quickly unravels once Emma, while at dinner with friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), reveals her deepest, darkest secret, which permanently and unexpectedly alters the connection between her and Charlie.
The movie’s marketing caused controversy, with many viewers citing that Emma’s secret, and the film’s subsequent transition from light to heavy-hearted, was completely out of left field. While the twist was teased, its intensity was ultimately kept a secret. The campaign started with a save-the-date in the Boston Globe four months ahead of its April 4 theatrical release and had many standout moments, including a one-day wedding chapel in Vegas and evolving versions of the movie poster that mirror the film’s progression. Controversial or not, the film has made over $130 million worldwide to date, in large part due to the strength and reach of A24’s marketing campaign.
This marks Borgli’s fourth time writing and directing a feature film, and his second time working with A24, the studio behind his 2023 project “Dream Scenario.” Pattinson also has a history with the studio, with roles in “The Rover” (2014), “Good Time” (2017), “High Life” (2018), “The Lighthouse” (2019) and “The Souvenir” (2019). Later this year, Pattinson and Zendaya will make two additional on-screen appearances together between their roles in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three.”
