He's All That - What We Know So Far
Miramax's "He's All That" is one of the most talked-about upcoming releases of 2021. The film is a modern retelling of 1999's "She's All That," which starred Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr. Although mostly panned by critics, the film was a major success for Miramax. According to Box Office Mojo, "She's All That" grossed over $100 million worldwide. The studio now hopes to have the same success with this remake, or perhaps eclipse the profits that the original film brought with its audience. Both the 1999 film and 2021 remake are penned by R. Lee Fleming Jr., who has written for "Friends," "One Tree Hill," and Hulu's "Light as a Feather," so we're pretty sure he knows what rom-com fans like to see.
Nearly everything we know so far about "He's All That" points to a Gen-Z overhaul on the film. It's got a massive influencer as its star, and a gender-swapping script, and there's bound to be more surprises. Let's get into the details for this reimagining of the late '90s template for teen movies.
Who is in the cast of "He's All That?"
By far, the most recognizable cast member in "He's All That" is TikTok megastar Addison Rae. Rae will play the main character, Padgett Sawyer, a new take on Prinze Jr.'s Zack Siler. Padgett takes an interest in the unpopular Cameron Kweller, portrayed by "Cobra Kai's" Tanner Buchanan. Insider reported that some fans of the 1999 film were wary of Rae's casting. Rae shared with Variety that she was nervous, but had been taking acting classes "probably seven days a week before the film started...and hours of script analysis." Co-star Buchanan assured watchers that "she did fantastic."
In late 2020, Variety reported that "She's All That" star Rachael Leigh Cook had joined the cast of the remake. Instead of reprising her role of Laney Boggs, Cook will appear as Padgett's mom, Anna Sawyer. Previous reports also name Matthew Lillard as a cast member, but as of now, Lillard is no longer part of the cast list on IMDB. Lillard played the 1990's version of an influencer as former "The Real World" cast member Brock Hudson.
Kourtney Kardashian announced via an Instagram post that she was joining the cast of "He's All That." Rae and Kardashian, two of America's biggest social media personalities, have had a publicly documented friendship since early 2020, per Insider. The film will mark the feature debut for both stars.
What is the plot of "He's All That?"
As first reported by Deadline, the "He's All That" remake will tell the familiar story from a teenage girl's perspective. "The contemporary story follows an influencer (Rae) who accepts a challenge to turn the school's biggest loser (Buchanan) into prom king," wrote the outlet. In the original, Zach (Prinze) makes a bet that he can turn art nerd Laney (Cook) into the most popular girl in school.
Some hints in the form of stills have been released, with one photo showing Cameron alongside Padgett at a costume party, and another with the couple on horseback. A Netflix teaser reel offers a glimpse at a pool party, a possible throwback to the same scenes from the 1999 version.
Along with a returning screenwriter, "She's All That" producers Jennifer Gigbot and Andrew Panay have come back to work on the film (per Tyla). "Meal Girls" director Mark Waters signed on to direct, which is a great sign for anyone looking for authentic teenage characters.
While there is still no official trailer for the film, Buchanan assured Variety that "everyone who is a fan of the original are going to love and anybody not familiar with the original are going to love it as well."
When will "He's All That" be released?
Per Deadline, "He's All That" filmed in 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the production caused some controversy for utilizing a COVID-19 testing site as a filming location. In a fairly quick turnaround, the cast of the film announced via a video on Instagram that the film would be released on Friday, August 27 2021. "He's All That" will premiere on Netflix, so there's no need to buy any movie tickets.
The rights for the film cost Netflix a reported $20 million, according to Deadline, and the film was largely kickstarted into existence by Rae's interest in a role. The two leads got fans excited for the film during May's MTV Movie Awards, when the pair locked lips before presenting the award for "Best Kiss" of the year.
The film joins a 2021 slate of other anticipated Netflix originals, including Carnaval, Sweet Girl, and Zach Snyder's Army of the Dead.