Revealed: Director Matthew Lopez Unveils the Bold Choice Behind 'Red, White and Royal Blue' - Why a King Instead of a Queen?
Director Matthew Lopez reveals his deliberate choice of featuring a king in the film adaptation of 'Red, White and Royal Blue' well in advance of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, offering a unique twist that captivates audiences Find out the intriguing reason behind this decision exclusively from Lopez himself
Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz in Prime Video’s ‘Red, White & Royal Blue.’ Prime Video
Changes are made in every book-to-movie adaptation, and Red, White and Royal Blue is no exception. However, director Matthew López had future generations of viewers in mind when he decided to make a specific change — replacing a queen with a king.
“Well, there were two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to establish a distinct separation between our fictional royal family and the real royal family,” explained López, who collaborated with Ted Malawer on the film, during an exclusive interview with We.
Amazon Studios’ Red, White and Royal Blue explores the captivating love story between British Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) and Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the first female President of the United States (Uma Thurman). The fictional British royal family is deeply rooted in tradition, and King James III (Stephen Fry) adamantly insists that Henry remain in the shadows. In the original best-selling novel by Casey McQuiston, the character of Queen Mary faced similar circumstances.
Director López made a crucial decision early on to alter the storyline, casting the role in the fall of 2021, a whole year prior to Queen Elizabeth II's passing at the age of 96. "Even though Queen Elizabeth was still alive during that time, I had foresight that for the majority of this film's life, audiences would be experiencing it while there was a King of England," expressed López in an interview with Us. "Whether it's King Charles, Prince William, or Prince George, there will likely always be a King of England throughout our lifetime. Therefore, I wanted to ensure that the film resonated with people for generations to come."
López couldn't refuse the opportunity to trade the queen for a king for a very simple and understandable reason. "I couldn't pass up the chance to have Stephen Fry onboard. There were many factors involved in that decision, but the most important one was that Stephen Fry wanted to do it. You can't say no to Stephen Fry," López joked.
He also couldn't resist the chance to adapt Red, White and Royal Blue. López discovered McQuiston's debut novel soon after its release in 2020, thanks to a recommendation from one of his agents. It didn't take him long to connect with the material and decide that he wanted to make his feature film directorial debut with RWRB.
Stephen Fry in London in May 2022. Jed Leicester/Shutterstock
“I immediately fell head over heels for it, much like most readers,” López shared with Us. “The characters, the delightfully absurd situations they find themselves in, I was completely enamored. I can't quite articulate it, but I simply longed to extend my stay in that world. I envisioned a movie adaptation, and so I actively campaigned for the opportunity. It was more than just raising my hand, I passionately fought for the chance to bring this story to life."
He formed a connection with Alex, the president's son, who harbors his own political aspirations. Alex bears a grudge against Henry, leading to a showdown at the royal wedding that lands them in a cake. To contain the fallout from their viral "Buttercream Summit" photos, their families and handlers come together to orchestrate a staged "truce" between the two boys. However, as Alex and Henry discover surprising similarities, this staged arrangement becomes genuinely heartfelt.
López felt a deep connection to Alex as a character while reading the book. Being a biracial queer man from the American South, with a white mother and Puerto Rican father, López related to Alex, whose father is Mexican, in his own way. This connection served as a strong point of identification for López. Prior to reading the book, López had never come across a character like Alex who was at the center of a story, in either books or movies. This motivated López to ensure that Alex's uniqueness was preserved when bringing the character into the world.
Red, White and Royal Blue debuts on Amazon Prime Friday, August 11.
