If it’s a marketing scheme, it’s an elaborate one.
“The Curse” stars Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder parodied the trailer introduction to the Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell rom-com “Anyone But You” in a newly released promo. In an almost exact parallel to that of Sweeney and Powell’s, the intro features Stone and Fielder standing against a pale blue background, with Fielder wearing a white button-down and Stone wearing a peach-colored tank top.
“Check out the trailer for my new show,” a beaming Stone says, to which Fielder counters, “My new show.”
“It’s actually my show,” Stone retorts.
Fielder scoffs, saying, “We’ll see whose show it is once people see it.”
Stone lets out an incredulous laugh before amending herself: “Check out the trailer for our new show, ‘The Curse.'”
“Better?” she asks Fielder, who states, deadpan, “Just play the trailer.”
“Oh my god,” Stone says before rolling her eyes in amusement. “Enjoy.”
Fielder then took to Instagram to clarify the similarities.
“I’ve just been informed that the introductory clip leading into our trailer for ‘The Curse’ which I posted to social media earlier today has similarities to the trailer introduction for the romcom movie ‘Anyone But You.’ I want to be very clear – we shot this promo over six months ago, and I am seriously concerned that the marketing team at Sony Pictures somehow saw our promotional and copied it,” Fielder wrote in a Notes App statement posted on Instagram, adding that he would not be “pursuing legal action.”
“As artists, doing these types of promos, we just read the scripts we are given with unyielding trust that the creative we are performing is wholly original and not lifted from competing projects or generated by AI (a continued fight that artists around the world are trying to put a stop to),” Fielder continued. “It’s unfortunate that Sydney, Glen, Emma, and myself have been put in this situation. But this will not stop us from supporting each others successes, and I know that both Emma and myself will personally be booking front row tickets to ‘Anyone But You’ on opening night.”
It was unclear whether Fielder was joking or not, but the comedian is known for coming up with outlandish schemes to promote businesses in his reality comedy show “Nathan for You.”
“Anyone But You” director Will Gluck later responded to Fielder, seemingly confirming that it was all pretend and playing along with the joke. Gluck admitted that the team “did indeed steal the trailer launch idea” and included a version of the “The Curse” poster, featuring Sweeney and Powell’s heads photoshopped onto Stone and Fielder’s bodies.
“In today’s era of cancel culture, sometimes it’s better to just own your mistakes. We did indeed steal the trailer launch idea from ‘The Curse’ and for that, we deeply apologize to Paramount+, Showtime, Nathan Fielder, and Emma Stone. I know words are hollow, but please in the holiday spirit, try to forgive our missteps,” wrote Gluck, also in a Notes App statement on Instagram.
“Unfortunately, this was not our only transgression. We also appropriated your poster for our campaign,” Gluck added, noting that the team had originally intended on debuting the poster next week, but “for obvious (and legal) reasons,” they would be releasing it along with the note.
“Please again accept our heartfelt apology. We in no way intended to stand in the way of your success; indeed, we celebrate it. I know that we will also be watching ‘The Curse’ when it premieres in January,” Gluck said.
“Anyone But You” is slated for a Dec. 22 theatrical release. “The Curse,” about a home-flipping show gone wrong, premiered last Friday, Nov. 10.