The Red, White & Royal Blue trailer is the talk of the internet: ‘This will be a world takeover’
Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex (L), Nicholas Galitzine as Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Prime Video)
After what feels like an eternity of edging, Prime Video has finally dropped the eagerly-anticipated trailer for queer rom com Red, White & Royal Blue.
Fans of Casey McQuiston’s award-winning, 2019 queer novel have had a long old wait to get to this point.
Less than a year after the book was published, a film adaption was announced, promising one of the most saccharine stories to ever hit our screens (well, since Heartstopper at least).
The tale tracks Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of Ellen Claremont, the first female president of the United States, and his raging rivalry with Britain’s Prince Henry.
During a trip to the UK for a royal wedding, Alex and Henry are forced to confront each other and deal with their differences; though instead, they end up having a cake-covered physical fight, sending the world’s media into hysteria.
In a bid to plaster over the bad press and salvage Ellen Claremont’s chances of being re-elected as president, Alex and Henry play up to the cameras and pretend that there’s no bad blood between them. Soon enough, they’re not playing pretend – and their relationship becomes very, very real, and very, very raunchy.
Lovers of the book have scoured through every detail of the film’s production with a fine tooth comb. They leapt with joy when it was announced that The Kissing Booth 2 star Taylor Zakhar Perez would play Alex, and Cinderella actor Nicholas Galitzine would play Henry, dubbing them “so Alex and Henry coded”.
There were more cheers when it was announced that Kill Bill icon Uma Thurman would play Ellen, and Stephen Fry would play Henry’s grandfather, the King of England.
Excitement has continued to build, with the official Red, White & Royal Blue social media accounts teasing first-look stills and, over the past few days, a trio of mini-teaser trailers.
Fans have been left hanging long enough though, and finally, the official trailer is here – just weeks before the film drops on Friday 11 August.
“I sent you to the royal wedding with a simple instruction,” says Uma Thurman’s Ellen Claremont in the opening seconds. “Don’t cause an international incident.”
Cut to the royal wedding gateau toppling on top of Alex and Henry, leaving them red-faced and cake-covered.
“Henry shoved me!” exclaims Alex, to which his mother responds: “An urge I currently share.”
We’re not just getting cutesy queerness; this is comedic cinema.
Set to Lil Nas X’s queer banger “That’s What I Want,” the trailer continues with Alex and Henry childishly (but hilariously) taunting one another, as Ellen sets up the world’s cameras to fool the public into thinking they’re actually the best of friends.
The L Word’s Sarah Shahi brings humour and order as Ellen’s chief of staff Zahra Bankston, telling Alex he has to act like the “sun shines out of [Henry’s] ass, and you have a vitamin D deficiency”.
We also get a very quick look at Stephen Fry in character, as well a cursory glance at Willow actress Ellie Bamber in role as Henry’s older sister, Princess Bea.
A couple of hints are dropped about how Alex eventually falls for his one-time arch enemy – particularly when he spots Henry compassionately talking to an ill child in a hospital.
Then, there’s the big moment: as snow falls and fireworks burst in the background, Prince Henry makes his move. “Do you ever wonder who you’d be if you were an anonymous person in the world?” he asks. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” answers Alex.
“Christ you’re as thick as it gets,” retorts Henry before balancing out the insult by going in for a big, fat kiss.
Their biting remarks turn into playful jabs, which ultimately turn into steamy, topless trips to hotel bedrooms. But, as they fall in love, they have to contend with the fallout of being star-crossed lovers, in a world where the royal family appears still strictly heterosexual.
While the trailer is less than two minutes long, it’s already sent fans screaming, crying, and shouting, as they wait with baited breath for the full film to drop.
“I’m so not going to shut up about Red, White & Royal Blue. It’s so unapologetically silly and queer and hits every rom com trope I cannot wait,” wrote one social media user.
“I don’t think y’all fully understand the way the Red, White & Royal Blue will consume every crevice of my soul,” shared a second.
“I can’t stop watching the Red, White & Royal Blue trailer, i’m so obsessed. I keep squealing and smiling, I am so not calm about this,” said a third, while a fourth simply declared that it will be the “rom com of the year”.
Red, White & Royal Blue drops on Amazon Prime Video on 11 August.
