Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell's $220 Million Rom-Com Now Has A Secret Sequel (& It Completely Changes The Movie)
Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell made waves in 2023 with their steamy romantic comedy, Anyone But You. The R-rated film saw Sweeney and Powell do a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, where two singles' attraction fizzles out, leading to an unexpected wedding reunion where they devise a plan to act like they are in love to make their exes jealous.
Anyone But You was released in theaters in December 2023 without considerable box office expectations, which seemed on track after a weak $6.3 million opening weekend domestically. However, Sweeney and Powell's movie proved to have considerable staying power and worldwide appeal. The result was Anyone But You earning $220 million worldwide by the time its theatrical run concluded in 2024.
The success made Sweeney and Powell two of Hollywood's most in-demand stars. It also sparked conversations about an Anyone But You sequel or some other partnership between the two stars. Three years later, an official follow-up has yet to come, and Sweeney and Powell have not reconnected, despite both finding success elsewhere. But it turns out Hollywood made a secret Anyone But You sequel.
The film's director, Will Gluck, made the 2026 rom-com One Night Only next, and the movie includes humorous "cameos" from Sweeney and Powell in the form of online profile pictures. Yet, the Sweeney cameo in particular confirms One Night Only is a sequel to Anyone But You.
Sydney Sweeney's One Night Only Cameo Connects To Anyone But You
Sydney Sweeney might not physically appear in One Night Only, but her face is seen at a notable part of the movie. Callaum Turner's Owen is seen swiping through profiles on an app designed to facilitate hook-ups while the no sex mandate is lifted. This is when Sweeney's face pops up as one of the profiles he looks at. Notably, the profile is named Bea, the name of her Anyone But You character.
On one hand, this could be seen as just a fun reference to Gluck's former hit rom-com, similar to how the director referenced Emma Stone's Easy A character in Anyone But You. After all, Powell's cameo comes through a LinkedIn profile picture of the guy Owen's girlfriend plans to sleep with. He has a different name than Ben, too. That just makes the decision to have Bea be the name for Sweeney's profile more important.
Anyone But You's Michelle Hurd also has a cameo in One Night Only, but she plays completely different characters in the two movies
If Sweeney's appearance is taken more seriously, then One Night Only is a stealth sequel to Anyone But You. The movie takes place some time after Anyone But You's ending. Bea is listed at 28 years old in One Night Only, which would make sense considering how long the sex mandate has been in place and how old Sweeney's character seems to be in Anyone But You.
One Night Only's Anyone But You Connection Changes Ben & Bea's Future
Making One Night Only and Anyone But You exist in the same universe adds several new revelations to Ben and Bea's lives after their seemingly happy ending. For starters, they would also have to grow accustomed to living in a world where sex is only legal one night a year. And based on the potential timeline of these events, the mandate may have gone into effect not too long after Ben and Bea got together.
The biggest ramification One Night Only has on Anyone But You is the implication that Ben and Bea don't last. The original film suggests that they truly were in love by the conclusion and accepted each other for who they are. They seemed to have the foundation for the type of relationship that could survive a full year of abstinence (if they didn't get married).
But seeing Bea on a hookup app and living in New York indicates that she and Ben didn't get their happy ending. The connection reveals that Bea is looking for romance in other places, implying that they've broken up, unless they have an open relationship or a free pass to explore when the mandate lifts. So, One Night Only is responsible for severely altering Anyone But You and potentially negating a path forward for Sweeney and Powell to return for a proper sequel.