Why Casting Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine Was ‘Crucial’ For ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’

Based on Casey MQuiston’s critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Red, White, & Royal Blue marks the first feature film writing and directing debut of Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew Lopez. The director noted that the movie would not be made if the team did not cast those like Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine. 

Matthew Lopez, known for his accolades in playwriting, directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ted Malawar. The movie was produced by a multitude of executive producers with collaborations with two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Stephen Goldblatt, and Berlanti/Schechter Films Productions.

The notable film stars Taylor Zakhar Perez as the son of the president of the United States, Alex Claremont-Dix, and Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry of the Royal Crown. The two evolve from holding grudges behind the public eye to a romantic relationship for the world on dis

play.

“They hate each other,” Lopez notes. “The first time they met, there was a perceived slight and Alex has held a grudge against Henry ever since. Alex was a working-class kid from Texas who suddenly found himself living in the White House. On the opposite end of that is this posh, upper- class prince who has had everything handed to him on a silver platter. And, of course, Alex resents him for that. But over the course of the story, they discover they have much more in common than they ever could have imagined and come to value the differences between them.”

Executive producer Michael McGrath previously noted on production, “It was important to Casey that this story be in the hands of filmmakers who loved the book and believed in the characters who are very aspirational. There is a lot of wish fulfillment in that it is a version of reality we wish we were living in.”

In a conversation with What’s Trending, Tony-award winner Matthew Lopez also stated that he would not have wanted to make the movie at all if the team could not find the real life personas to play the lead characters. 

Lopez went on to note, “Red, White & Royal Blue is a modern fairy tale that defies conventions. It is a fun romantic comedy in the tradition of classic Hollywood romances but with very contemporary characters. Alex and Henry are two young men whose lives have been constrained by assumptions about who they are. I think there is something lovely about the fact that the profound and even revolutionary act of loving each other allows them to challenge the hand they’ve been dealt…and, perhaps more importantly, to accept themselves for who they are.”

In addition to casting, director Matthew Lopez mentioned that the production team set an ‘incredibly high bar for what they want to achieve with the movie.’ Knowing the book had a large fanbase, the team wanted to honor the novel and create something that was ‘built to last’ and ‘stick in people’s minds.’

Representation was the first thing that appealed to López, who shares, “I read the book at the beginning of the pandemic and it was so revelatory to me because I’d never read a book with a queer Latine character at the center, especially in a romance. And that for me was incredibly impactful. When I was a teenager or even in my 20s, if I’d had access to the character of Alex Claremont-Diaz, it might have changed my life. I knew in that instant that this was the movie I wanted to be my first film. And I am extremely grateful to have been entrusted with that task.”

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