Paramount is developing a sequel to the 2003 romantic comedy “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” with Kate Hudson attached as a producer and the studio hoping both original leads return.
Danish broadcaster DR reported on August 30 that the cult rom-com is taking its first steps toward a second film. DR based its report on the film magazine Variety, which broke the news on August 24, 2026.
The original film starred Kate Hudson as women’s magazine journalist Andie Anderson and Matthew McConaughey as advertising executive Ben Barry. Per Variety, the ambition is for both actors to return to those roles. Hudson is attached as a producer through her Shiny Penny banner with Stacey Sher.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel is still in early development, with no writer or cast formally attached. Deadline reported that casting depends on a screenplay that is not yet in place. Neither a title nor a plot has been set.
A 20-year nostalgia cycle
DR spoke with Luna Ehlers, culture journalist and film critic at Soundvenue, about why the project is moving now. As stated by Ehlers, film audiences are drowning in remakes, reboots and sequels, and the 2000s are strongly represented in current popular culture. She noted that many new original films also draw on that decade.
Ehlers described the trend as a natural cycle. She pointed to the so called 20-year rule, the idea that styles and stories return to fashion after roughly two decades. DR notes that “The Devil Wears Prada” turns 20 this year and that “The Devil Wears Prada 2” reached cinemas in 2026.
According to Ehlers, global crises also feed the longing for the 2000s. She said the decade is often associated with a sought after lightness and a carefree existence, especially in digital terms, if the world crises of the time are set aside.
Ehlers told DR that the 2000s came before people made serious use of AI and algorithms. In a rom-com context, she said, the main characters have to meet and fall in love in the real world rather than through apps. She added that nostalgia works as a comfort blanket in times of crisis.
Reuters reported that Hudson said in April 2026 she would be open to returning if the script and the circumstances were right. The full interview with Ehlers was broadcast on DR’s P1 Morgen.
Paramount has not announced a release date, a director or a writer for the project. The studio has confirmed only that the film is under development.
