Everything to Know About Prime Video's 'Red, White & Royal Blue' Film

The film is based on Casey McQuiston's novel of the same name, and stars Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez

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Updated on August 2, 2023 02:39PM EDT

Red White and Royal Blue Key Art — Photo:
Courtesy of Prime Video

Red, White & Royal Blue is being adapted for the screen.

Based on Casey McQuiston's best-selling novel of the same name, the upcoming Prime film stars The Kissing Booth's Taylor Zakhar Perez and Purple Hearts' Nicholas Galitzine as two men from different sides of the pond who end up developing feelings for each other after faking a friendship.

Upon its initial release in May 2019, the novel has become a fan favorite among book-readers, making the adaptation even more anticipated.

"The incredible thing about the project is that I've never been involved with something that has this built-in fan base straight from the beginning," Galitzine previously told PEOPLE about the adaptation. "The amount of support that Taylor Zakhar Perez and I received from the outset has just been overwhelming. So that's a really cool thing."

In an interview published in August 2023, director Matthew López, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ted Malawer, told PEOPLE that the film is a "wonderful fairy tale" for LGBTQ+ audiences who don't typically get the spotlight.

"It's interesting because it feels like queer audiences are one of the main consumers of such stories, and yet we didn't have a lot of our own," he told PEOPLE.

He also spoke about his surprise when Red, White & Royal Blue got labeled with an R rating from the Motion Picture Association due to "some sexual content, partial nudity and language."

López talked about a sex scene between the two leads, saying that "the scene is what I intended to show. It plays exactly how I wanted it to play" and questioned "whether or not if it had been a man and a woman, if we'd still gotten an R rating."

Ahead of the release of the film, here's everything to know including the cast and how it will differ from the book.

What is Red, White & Royal Blue about?

Taylor Zakhar Perez Nicholas Galitzine Red White and Royal Blue Everything to Know — Nicholas Galitzine/INSTAGRAM

The film centers on Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), the First Son of the United States, and a British prince named Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine).

After getting into an altercation, their handlers "devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce," per the official logline for the film. Eventually, their fake friendship evolves into "something more meaningful" as they develop feelings for each other.

Who is starring in Red, White & Royal Blue?

In addition to Perez and Galitzine's starring roles, the cast also includes Uma Thurman as the U.S. president and mother of Perez's character.

Fun fact: this is Galitzine's second time playing a prince — after starring in 2021's Cinderella — and his second time working alongside Thurman. "She played my mother [on Chambers], and now she's playing Taylor's mom. So we have this weird, shared, very niche bond that not many people can claim," Galitzine tells PEOPLE.

Other cast members include Clifton Collins Jr., Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, with Stephen Fry and Uma Thurman, Ellie Bamber, Thomas Flynn, Malcolm Atobrah, Akshay Khanna, Sharon D Clarke, Aneesh Sheth and Juan Castano.

How will Red, White & Royal Blue differ from the book?

While it's still unclear how exactly the book will be adapted for the screen, Galitzine teased to PEOPLE that it will definitely include some fun moments for fans of the book.

"While obviously, the movie will be its own entity separate from the book, there's a great deal of fan service," he says. "We're making something that is both a lot of fun, but it feels very elevated and it feels like a beautiful movie, both aesthetically and just the performances and the story."

Who is directing Red, White & Royal Blue?

The film is being written and directed by López, who is best known for his work on the Broadway play The Inheritance, which won the Tony for best play in 2020. Malawer also co-wrote the film with López.

When did Red, White & Royal Blue film?

Taylor Zakhar Perez Nicholas Galitzine — Nicholas Galitzine/INSTAGRAM

Per an Instagram post from director López, rehearsals kicked off in late May 2022 with filming officially commencing on June 13 2022 in London. On Aug. 13, 2022, Galitzine confirmed that filming wrapped with a photo of him and Perez on set.

Is there a poster for Red, White & Royal Blue?

On May 24, Prime Video shared the first look at the poster, which shows Galitzine and Perez sitting on a couch wearing socks that feature the United Kingdom and United States flags.

Is there a trailer for Red, White & Royal Blue?

On July 6, Prime Video debuted the first trailer, which shows the beginning of Alex and Prince Henry's romance as well as the first look at Thurman's character.