Anyone But You fulfills a covert rom-com trilogy by sneaking in a subtle reference to a character Emma Stone played early in her career. The popular romance film is, in fact, chock-full of references, most being towards Shakespeare’s 16th-century play “Much Ado About Nothing,” from which Anyone But You is loosely inspired. Anyone But You’s rough remake of the comedic play features Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell as Beatrice and Ben, respectively, two rivaling singles who pretend to be in a relationship to appease their loved ones and stick it to their exes.

Beyond the Shakespeare references Anyone But You includes, like names taken from “Much Ado About Nothing” characters and well-timed direct quotes from the play, the movie drops several exciting rom-com and romance film Easter eggs. While some are more prominent than others, nods to the cult classic Titanic, the Cameron Diaz fronted There’s Something About Mary, and a 2010 rom-com managed by Anyone But You’s director Will Gluck were not just identifiable but added an edge of nostalgia to the story. By alluding specifically to Gluck’s previous rom-com contribution, however, Anyone But You also completes a fun rom-com trilogy.

Emma Stone’s Olive Penderghast Is Included In Easy A, Friends With Benefits & Anyone But You

Before Anyone But You, Gluck directed the 2010 teen romantic comedy Easy A, starring Stone as the scorned high school student Olive Penderghast. Stone proved iconic in the early career role, even snagging a Golden Globe nomination beside established actresses Anne Hathaway (Love & Other Drugs), Angelina Jolie (The Tourist), and Julianne Moore (The Kids Are Alright) for her performance. Stone may have lost out to Annette Bening (The Kids Are Alright) that year, but the legacy of her character lived on in Easy A’s addictive rewatch value and Gluck’s subsequent rom-com movies, Friends with Benefits and Anyone But You.

Gluck’s 2011 Friends with Benefits was the first to include Olive, displaying her name on a driver’s sign in one of the movie’s airport scenes. Olive’s name is also apparent on a driver’s sign in the Anyone But You scene showing Ben and Bea’s arrival at Sydney Airport in Australia. Stone’s character isn’t physically in either movie. Nonetheless, Gluck’s playful Easy A references make it fun to imagine Olive living out a rom-com trilogy where she is thriving and traveling the world after trudging through the petty high school drama and gossip of her own story.

While Anyone But You gave audiences a glimpse of Olive, it also ruined its chances of completing a trend among Gluck’s movies. Friends with Benefits took its Easy A callback further by having Stone cameo, albeit as a different character, in a supporting role. Stone featured as Kayla, the ex of leading character Dylan Harper. Anyone But You had the perfect opportunity to keep up Stone’s appearances in Gluck’s rom-com movies and didn’t pull through, but it may have been no fault of its own.

Anyone But You’s production started in February 2023 (via Collider), but well before then – since 2021, to be exact – Stone was caught up with Yorgos Lanthimos’ multi-award-winning movie Poor Things. If there was interest in featuring Stone in Anyone But You, it wouldn’t be beyond belief that scheduling conflicts because of her lead role in Poor Things’cast impeded the idea. Regardless, Poor Things was more worthwhile thanAnyone But Youcould be for Stone, as it earned her several awards, including the second Golden Globe of her career.