After Everything (2023 film)

After Everything is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Castille Landon, based on the characters from the After series of novels by Anna Todd. The direct sequel to After Ever Happy (2022) and the fifth installment the After film series, it stars Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin reprising their roles as Tessa Young and Hardin Scott, respectively.

The film was released in select theaters in the United States on September 13, 2023, by Voltage Pictures.

Plot
Hardin is still pining for Tessa, a year after she broke up with him upon discovering his manuscript for 'After', their love story. His publisher Katherine urges him to produce a follow-up to the best-seller before year's end.

Forcing him to go clubbing with her and her friend, Hardin cannot enjoy himself as he has continual flashbacks of Tessa. Katherine and her friend get Hardin to take them to his place but he's not enjoying himself, drinking until he passes out.

Over a lunch with his mother and birth father the next day, Hardin is reprimanded for drinking again, wallowing and not trying to move on. Explaining that Tessa was his whole reason for being and his muse, he has writer's block. Hardin's mum suggests he makes peace with the past, then mentions Natalie, from his youth is now living in Lisbon.

Hardin flies down to make amends with Natalie, going to the bridal shop where she works. She ushers him out, but meets with him later. Hardin has a flashback to when they'd met. To recover an expensive watch in a poker game, he accepted a bet to seduce her and record it.

Natalie moved to Lisbon to escape the backlash from Hardin's friend making the video go viral. She's also lost her means to go to college, so decided to make a fresh start. After they've caught up, Natalie invites Hardin to meet her and her friends on the beach. There Sebastian, a guy wary of him, talks him into cliff diving.

Sailing the next day with Natalie, telling her about when Tessa broke up with him, Hardin is made to realise both situations were similar. Both had their private lives made public with no warning. Back on the beach, Sebastian and his friends beat Hardin up for making advances toward another one of his friends, who gets locked up in jail.

Hardin's birth father comes down and bails him out. He gives him a motivating pep talk, making him see that he can both hold a place in his heart for Tessa, but slowly work on moving forward. As Hardin is cleaning his space, he sees Landon's wedding invite, asking him to be his best man. He decides to stay a while longer, to try to write.

Natalie comes by with a care package for Hardin, apologizing for Sebastian's behavior. She almost kisses him, but he reminds her he's still in love with Tessa. He thanks her for being able to forgive him. Hardin, feeling inspired, starts writing again. Finishing the manuscript entitled 'Before', he gives a copy to Natalie, asking for her OK before submitting as she's included in it. She's happy with it, Hardin surprises her with the coastal house of her dreams.

Back in America, Nora is with Tessa, nervously hoping the ceremony proceeds without a hitch. As best man and maid of honor, Hardin and Tessa walk down the aisle together, the first time they've seen each other in over two years. At the reception, he bribes his little half-brother to ask her to dance, so he can cut in.

Hardin's best man speech about missing half of his soul resonates with Tessa. He follows her out, they apologise to one another, then come together. Tessa calls them a mess, which he disagrees with. They decide they are inevitable. Hardin, in a moment of clarity, gets down on one knee and proposes.

Flash forward, Hardin arrives home with his book 'Later' under his arm. He greets his little girl, then a visibly pregnant Tessa.

Development
In August 2022, it was announced that a fifth film had been in development concurrently with After Ever Happy. The film was written as an original story by director Castille Landon, and is the first installment not based on one of the titular novels. Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin were cast to once again reprise their roles as Tessa Young and Hardin Scott, respectively. Louise Lombard and Stephen Moyer were cast to reprise their roles as Trish Daniels and Christian Vance, respectively. Mimi Keene and Benjamin Mascolo joined the cast as new characters Natalie and Stephen. Additionally, Cora Kirk, Rosa Escoda, Jessica Webber, and Ella Martine joined the film in supporting roles.

Filming
The film was secretly shot concurrently with the previous installment, as revealed in August 2022, in Portugal. The productions entered principal photography back-to-back, with the announcement of greenlighting, development, pre-production, principal photography, and subsequently post-production by that time.

Release
After Everything was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 13, 2023, by Voltage Pictures. Fathom Events held special screenings of the film in the US on September 13 and 14, 2023. Internationally, it was released in select countries beginning September 13, 2023.

The film was released through video on demand in the US on October 3, 2023. It was made available on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom and France on October 3, and in Australia and New Zealand on October 6.

Future
Despite After Everything being marketed with the logline "The Final Chapter", Landon said in April 2021 that a prequel and an additional sequel centered around the children of the series' protagonists were in pre-production.