Breaking: A24 just crashed the wedding before it even started. This morning, I can confirm the studio planted a fake engagement ad for Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in the Boston Globe, timed to the first teaser for The Drama. It looked like a real notice, right beside the paper’s Love Letters column. Then came the poster and the teaser, and suddenly a movie romance felt alarmingly real. 💍
What happened today
A24 wanted attention, and they got it. The print ad teased a happy couple, Zendaya and Pattinson, with names that match their characters, Emma and Charlie. Minutes later, the studio dropped a first-look poster and the teaser for The Drama, a romantic-comedy drama from writer director Kristoffer Borgli. The teaser sets a clear tone. Emma and Charlie are engaged. A secret cracks open. Days before the wedding, the relationship begins to fall apart.
Fans clocked it fast. Some joked about Zendaya’s real life fiancé, Tom Holland. Others cheered the chaos of it all. Many just wanted to talk about how electric Zendaya and Pattinson look together on screen.
The Drama opens in theaters on April 3, 2026. It stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and it is written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
Inside the film we are about to meet
Borgli, known for Dream Scenario, is playing with tone again. The teaser moves from sweet to tense in seconds. Zendaya’s Emma smiles in one shot, then stares down a truth she cannot outrun. Pattinson’s Charlie charms his way through a rehearsal dinner, then looks like a man in free fall. The rhythm feels sharp, modern, and a little dangerous.
The supporting cast is not decoration. Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie pop in the footage with lived in energy. Hailey Gates brings an icy calm that hints at complications. The locations feel honest and specific, from Boston streets to intimate interiors, a look that lines up with A24’s grounded style. Filming wrapped in late 2024 across the UK, Boston, and Louisiana, and that mix gives the teaser real texture.
Watch the teaser twice. First for the sparks, second for the hard looks the couple gives when no one is watching.
The stunt, the ethics, the thrill
Let’s talk about the stunt. The fake engagement ad is a clever tool. It blurs the line between headline and logline, and it forces you to ask what is real. It also pokes the culture right where it is most sensitive, celebrity love lives.
Is it fair game? Many fans had fun with it, leaning into the bit. Some were uneasy. Real relationships are not props, even when everyone is in on the joke. That tension is exactly what the film explores, the gap between a picture perfect love story and the private truths underneath. The tactic fits the movie’s theme, which is why it works so well, and why it rattles a few people.
[IMAGE_2]
Here is where the campaign shines. It tells the story before the story. It uses a simple idea, a public promise made in print, to set up a breakup we have not even seen yet. It also makes clear who owns the narrative, the filmmakers, not the rumor mill.
What we know right now
- Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play Emma and Charlie, an engaged couple on the brink.
- The teaser shows a shocking reveal that shakes the days before their wedding.
- Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Gates round out the cast.
- The film hits theaters April 3, 2026.
Why this matters
A24 understands that modern romance lives in headlines as much as in hearts. By staging a fake engagement, the studio tapped the thrill and the discomfort of watching famous people fall in love. It sets the conversation, not just the campaign. If the finished film lands with the same precision as today’s reveal, The Drama will be the rare romance that makes you laugh, sweat, and think.
The Boston Globe placement was a promotional stunt, not a real engagement notice. It was designed to introduce Emma and Charlie to the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Zendaya actually engaged to Robert Pattinson?
A: No. The engagement notice was a staged ad to promote The Drama and its characters.
Q: What is The Drama about?
A: An engaged couple, Emma and Charlie, faces a truth that unravels their relationship in the days before their wedding.
Q: Who is directing?
A: Kristoffer Borgli wrote and directed the film. He previously made Dream Scenario.
Q: Who else is in the cast?
A: Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Gates appear in key roles.
Q: When does it come out?
A: April 3, 2026, in theaters.
The headline is simple. A24 turned a meet cute into a page one moment, then pulled the rug. The Drama is already living up to its title, and based on today’s reveal, the movie intends to break hearts and rules in equal measure. 🎬
