The Drama premiere in Los Angeles at the Directors Guild of America Theater felt like the beginning of a traditional Hollywood wedding story. Premiere invitations were sent out as wedding invites and guests were asked to dress for the wedding. The groom/rom-com lead Robert Pattinson stepped out in a custom-made Dior salmon suit jacket with an army-green button-down shirt.
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the film stars Pattinson and Zendaya, who play happily engaged couple Charlie and Emma as they prepare to walk down the aisle. But an unexpected revelation changes everything for them.
“I knew that [The Drama] would be the darkest rom-com you could ever make.”Robert Pattinson
For Pattinson, the project stood out precisely because it defied the conventions of the genre. Known for his eclectic role choices from Mickey 17 to The Lighthouse, Pattinson admitted that the script offered a unique subversion of the “wedding gone wrong” trope.
“I mean, it’s always just so surprising to me. I mean, you can never predict,” Pattinson said at the premiere. “I never would have thought I’d find that, because on paper, it sounds like something I wouldn’t necessarily do. It’s like, it’s about a couple getting married and all goes wrong. I read this and thought this is so original and funny, and I love [Kristoffer] Borgli’s work.”
He added: “I got to do a rom-com, I knew that it’d be the darkest rom-com you could ever make… a disturbing rom-com.”
Director Kristoffer Borgli reflected on bringing the lead character to life with Pattinson, describing an evolution that happened just before cameras rolled.
“He explores, like, every venue you could possibly go down,” Borgli said of Pattinson. “And I thought I had a very clear image of what the character was. And then, I think, he confused me and I confused him. And then, suddenly, right before we started shooting, we realized that it was all there, in the script, all along.”
He noted that the pressure of a wedding serves as the perfect pressure cooker for cinematic tension. “It’s definitely a very heightened situation,” Borgli explained on the carpet. “And it’s when you sort of ‘seal the deal’ with someone you think you know. There’s a lot at stake that week. And of course, stakes make for great movies.”
Co-star Mamoudou Athie was equally impressed by the chemistry between the two leads. “Yeah, they have a good time,” Athie noted. “And you can tell on the camera, like, they’re just really committed to what they’re doing, and they’re breathing life into this stuff in a way that just feels really fresh and fun. I really enjoyed watching that.”
Addressing the audience at the Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, Borgli emphasized that the film is designed to be a personal experience for each viewer.
“I just want to say that you should watch it and however you react is valid,” Borgli said. “It’s like [however] you want to react, how you feel, it’s all okay. You’re probably right. You decide what it is for you. You can laugh, you can cry. You can leave the theatre if you want to.”
He also took a moment to credit the collaborative spirit of the production. “It has truly been the most enjoyable experience I’ve had making a movie, and that can only happen when you have insanely talented people supporting you in every department.”
The film’s title prompted me to ask the cast and director how they react to drama in their own lives. Instinctively, Pattinson responded, “Ghost them. I gotta take my dog to the vet,” he laughed. “New number who dis?”
For his part, Borgli said: “Meditation, closing yourself off. You’re closing yourself off from the world, not being online, just not having any friends and being single and not talk to anyone and never send messages to anyone. Don’t read the news, don’t check social media.”
When Athie was asked about his professional dealbreaker, he told SHARP: “Respect. If I don’t feel like I’m being respected, how can I share this? It’s not worth it… because then you start to resent yourself.” As for getting out of drama? Athie laughed, “Tell me how to get out of drama! I do not know how.”
The Drama is in theatres on April 3rd, 2026.
PHOTO BY VIRISA YONG, COURTESY OF A24.
