Are you a die-hard rom-com lover? So is the team bringing us Meet Cute in Manhattan! 

The new romantic comedy follows a struggling actor, Jason, whose chance meeting and unexpected chemistry with Nora leads the pair to land a major commercial deal. The catch? The job is only for real couples. So, Jason and Nora have to pretend to be in love — at least while the cameras are rolling.

A rom-com that’s also a meta commentary on making rom-coms, Meet Cute in Manhattan demonstrates a real love and appreciation for on-screen romance with every frame. We sat down with the trio leading the film to dive into all things romantic comedy: executive producer, writer, and star Terence Chen, writer/director Karen Morey, and star Kendall Leary.

Check out our full interview below to learn about Meet Cute in Manhattan’s many beloved rom-com Easter Eggs, the essential rules any rom-com must follow, perfect rom-com double-features, and more.

About Meet Cute in Manhattan

Our story begins like all good New York rom-coms: with a montage and a voiceover from Jason, who grew up watching romantic comedies with his family and longs to see an Asian lead who looks like him. His meet cute with Nora, an aspiring architect, leads to their casting in a viral dating app commercial, where their on-screen chemistry captivates viewers citywide and sparks genuine feelings between them. Inspired by this unexpected romance, Jason writes a script based on their burgeoning relationship. The film unfolds through the lens of Jason pitching the script, creating a rom-com within a rom-com as the executives listening to his pitch find themselves falling in love as well. Full of classic rom-com references, Meet Cute in Manhattan celebrates and redefines the genre.

Meet Cute in Manhattan releases on VOD platforms, including Prime Video, on March 28.

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