Yikes! Fans of the After movies are *not* happy following the trailer for its fifth movie titled After Everything was released in May 2023. Keep reading to find out why, how the films’ company responded and more.
Why Are Fans Upset About the Fifth ‘After’ Movie?
It all began after Hero Fiennes Tiffin announced that the fourth After movie — titled After Ever Happy — won’t actually be his and Josephine Langford‘s final film as Hardin and Tessa.
“I’m so excited to finally share some massive news with you all,” the actor announced in an August 2022 video shared on the After movies social media accounts. “We have just wrapped filming on the fifth After movie. I can’t tell you too much about it just yet, but I can tell you that it will be called After Everything and I cannot wait for you all to see it.”
ICYMI, the movie franchise is based off of a Harry Styles fanfiction written by Anna Todd, following the (very toxic) relationship between Hardin (Hero) and Tessa (Josephine). The fifth film is set to be released in September 2023.
After the trailer for the fifth movie dropped in May 2023, fans were upset to see that Josephine will be in a reduced role, as her scenes from the trailer are taken from previous After movies. Plus, it looks like a new love interest for Hardin will be introduced — and fans were not having that.
Josephine told StyleCaster in 2021 that her involvement in her role as Tessa would depend on where the character’s journey ended. “I would want to come back if it was important, and it made sense,” she said. “I’m not a fan of overstaying your welcome. It can sometimes dampen a good thing if you’re creating something and it’s canon, and it doesn’t have a reason.”
‘After’ Social Media Account Address Controversy, Author Response
Following the fan outrage, After social media accounts addressed the controversy in a statement posted on May 11, 2023.
“It saddens us to have to write this message but it is necessary given the behavior we have seen from some users,” the announcement states. “If you’re upset with the studio, you have every right to tell us. What’s unacceptable is harassment towards the cast, crew, and equally importantly, their friends and families.”
However, even after the statement was released, fans still are upset over the franchise’s trajectory.
“Each movie that’s made veers further and further away from the original story/plot of the book,” one commenter wrote.
Anna Todd, the author of the After franchise, has notably not been involved in an After film since her exit following the second movie, After We Collided.
“I have my own version of what I know has kind of happened, so I think when you’re adapting novels and making movies it’s different than [writing novels],” she explained to CinemaBlend. “And, you know Castille [Landon] is great. She’s such a powerhouse, she’s gonna have an amazing career. But, for me it feels a little strange to have someone writing like the history of my characters that’s not accurate. So for me, I’m like, okay, this is where I get off the train.”
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