‘Reminders of Him’ Director Spills on Working With Colleen Hoover— ‘We Were Neighbors’ (Exclusive)
From cast chemistry to author collaboration, discover the secrets behind this must-see adaptation
Romance readers rejoice! It’s almost time for the theatrical release of Reminders of Him, a brand new romance based on the bestselling Colleen Hoover book of the same name. To learn more about the film, and its stars Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow and more, Woman’s World sat down with the director Vanessa Caswill, who shared some super fun behind-the-scenes set secrets. Read on for more.
The ‘Reminders of Him’ director shares some set secrets
Reminders of Him follows a woman named Kenna (Monroe) after she gets out of prison and tries to rebuild her life. It’s touching, emotional and filled with themes of grief, love and moving on.
“We had such a wonderful ensemble cast and such an amazing crew, and we shot in such a beautiful place,” Caswill said of the making of the film. “I had a very specific dynamic with each cast member, but I have to say some people were only there for a little while, they’d wrap and I’d be devastated when each person would leave, because it’s such a beautiful ensemble and such a lovely, balanced group.”
“Obviously, Tyriq and Maika were there all the time and they are incredible actors. I love working with them,” she continued. “I love their energy, their passion for the project and the wisdom they brought to it. So it was a really beautiful connection that we all had.”
As for what drew her to the project in the first place, Caswill said it all had to do with the book, which she made sure was adapted accurately.
“I just took the source material very seriously, and I wanted to be really true to it. I was very aware of the fans of the book, but also what I felt as I read it was my own emotional connection to itl my own story of motherhood and loss and grief and love and all of those things,” she explains. “I really wanted to distill the way that feels and find a way to bring light, heart and love to the story. I think that what I loved about the story when I read it, is that it starts off in a dark space and the fact that it can transmute to something lighter is really powerful to me.”
Vanessa Caswill spills on working with Colleen Hoover
Since the film was based on Hoover’s 2022 novel, it makes total sense that the author was heavily involved with the adaptation.
“She was there the whole time,” Caswill reveals. “She interviewed me right at the beginning, and then from the moment I started, she was with me. We were neighbors in Calgary [where the movie was filmed] and we worked incredibly closely with each other. It was a really fun dynamic.”
Prior to this film, Hoover’s books It Ends with Us and Regretting You were adapted into films. There is also a Verity adaptation on the way, which Caswill is super excited about.
“Verity is completely different and quite dark and I love it. I wouldn’t want to direct it, though,” she points out. “I have watched the other films, but I’d already read the script for Reminders of Him, and I already had my ideas and my vision before I watched It Ends with Us. So, I was very much with this story and focused on Reminders of Him, but I have seen the other films.”
Be sure to see Reminders of Him in theaters everywhere, Friday March 13.
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