Director Will Gluck wants audiences to enjoy One Night Only without getting caught up in the logic behind its unusual premise, states Variety.
The romantic comedy follows the one night each year when premarital sex becomes legal.
Monica Barbaro plays Allie, an aspiring singer who makes a living recording jingles for drug commercials.
Callum Turner plays Owen, a pizza shop owner whose long-term girlfriend decides to sleep with other people on the annual night.
The pair meet during 12 hours of chaos across New York City.
Gluck knows the premise raises questions, including why the law exists, how authorities enforce it and what happens to those who break it.
But he believes those details should remain in the background.
“You can’t really describe this movie,” Gluck told Variety.
He said cast members often spend much of their talk-show appearances explaining the rules instead of discussing what the film is really about.
The director, best known for Easy A and the 2023 hit Anyone But You, said he learned from his previous romantic comedy that audiences can discover a film through word of mouth.
He also addressed the changing audience response to sex and nudity on screen.
Gluck said he filmed considerably more nudity for One Night Only but removed much of it during editing after seeing how audiences reacted in screenings.
The production used an intimacy coordinator and cast real-life couples for several scenes involving intimacy.
Gluck also created much of the film’s fictional world through practical sets, including fake advertisements and signs promoting the “one night” mandate.
Brands such as Duolingo, Red Bull, Dunkin and Equinox allowed the production to adapt their branding for the film.
Barbaro’s singing ability also shaped her character. Gluck rewrote Allie after casting the actor, who has a strong singing voice.
Turner spent five days learning to make pizza at a restaurant for his role.
Gluck also confirmed that Anyone But You stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell appear in unexpected ways, although their schedules prevented them from filming traditional cameos.
Music remains central to Gluck’s filmmaking. He said he enjoys using popular songs that audiences often dismiss as “cringe” but secretly love, citing tracks such as “Pocket Full of Sunshine” and “Unwritten”.
Following Anyone But You’s box-office success, Gluck believes theatrical romantic comedies still have an audience.
He said filmmakers must give viewers enough time to discover such films and encourage others to watch them.
