‘Nepo baby’ Romeo Beckham kisses co-star in gay tennis film: ‘Anything for money’
Forty Love’s trailer drops. (StudioCanal)
The first trailer for Forty Love, a gay tennis drama starring Romeo Beckham in his acting debut, has dropped to mixed reactions, with many calling out Beckham as a “nepo baby”.
The French film from writer-director Pierre-Ange Carlotti stars Beckham and Paul Kircher as rival tennis stars. Some have already begun comparing it to Heated Rivalry and Challengers.
The synopsis frames the rivalry as something more intimate: “For the first time, he faces an opponent of an entirely different nature, love.”
It continues: “A force as exhilarating as it is destabilising, and far more dangerous than anything he has encountered on the court.”
The supporting cast also includes Guillaume Canet, Benjamin Voisin and Catherine Deneuve.
Early reactions to the trailer have been mixed. Some criticising Beckham’s casting: “Nepo baby with a damn smart agent.”
In the trailer’s comments, another wrote: “This shows the Beckhams will do anything for money.”
Beckham is the second son of David and Victoria Beckham and has grown up in the public eye as part of one of Britain’s most high-profile celebrity families. At 24, he has modelled for Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.
‘His acting debut being a queer character? I’m sat!’
Others seem more genuinely hopeful about the project. One user replied to the trailer: “Heated Rivalry but Tennis.”
Another wrote: “His acting debut being a queer character? I’m sat!”
In the trailer, Beckham and Kircher’s characters seem to circle each other. In particular, Beckham’s character is repeatedly teasing Kircher’s tennis player about his queer feelings.
“It’s not my fault if you’re f****** in love with me,” Beckham says. The line is paired with a montage of the pair getting sweaty on the court and in bed together.
In another scene, Beckham’s character tells a press conference: “I don’t want to sound like I want to be his boyfriend.”
Some quickly pointed out that the line is a quote from real-life tennis star Rafa Nadal. In 2017 at the US Open, Nadal was asked what he admires about his rival, Roger Federer.
He famously stumbled over his words and said: “I don’t want to look like I am, I want to be his boyfriend.”
Beckham’s character seems to reference that exact moment. Tennis fans also picked up on it. “I respect the creator because they said what if Nadal was queer,” one comment about that moment reads.
Later in the trailer, the film takes a dark turn. Knives are pulled, and Beckham’s slumped-over body is dragged across a hallway.
Then, on a clay tennis court, Kircher sits over Beckham’s seemingly dead body and eats his bloody organs. It’s a stark tonal shift from the initially established competitive sports drama.
Forty Love is set for release in France on 25 November. A UK release date is yet to be confirmed.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
