Movies and TV Shows That Were Surprisingly Based on Fan Fiction

“The Idea of You,” which is getting turned into a movie starring Anne Hathaway, is inspired by Harry Styles and One Direction.

While not technically “fan fiction” posted on a website, “The Idea of You” is a novel that’s inspired by One Direction and Styles, subbing in August Moon and Hayes Campbell. In it, a 40-year-old divorced mom, Solène, takes her 15-year-old daughter Izzy to Coachella to see August Moon performs, and against all odds, falls in love with 24-year-old Hayes.

“A few years ago, my husband was away on business and I was up late surfing music videos on YouTube when I came across the face of a boy I’d never seen in a band I’d never paid attention to, and it was so aesthetically perfect it took me by surprise. It was like art,” author Robinne Lee said in 2017. “I spent a good hour or so Googling and trying to figure out who this kid [Styles] was and in doing so I discovered that he often dated older women, and so the seed was planted.”

In 2020, Lee told Vogue that “Inspired is a strong word,” when asked if Styles inspired Hayes.

Now, the movie adaptation is shooting, and stars Hathaway as Sophie (Solène in the book), Nicholas Galitzine as Hayes, and Ella Rubin as Izzy.