ONE NIGHT ONLY (2026): Why This Upcoming Rom-Com is (Most Likely) the Movie We All Need Right Now

One Night Only Hopes to Enlighten Late Summer Audiences

Will Gluck is a filmmaker with a history of making successful rom-coms and his latest film, One Night Only, could be his biggest hit to date.

Universal Pictures is releasing Will Gluck’s latest, One Night Only, on August 7th. Gluck’s movies often tend to be big hits at the box-office, but all signs point to this one being his most successful film to date. This is the movie almost all audiences want and need right now after all the heaviness of the undeniably great The Odyssey. August is the time to laugh, and One Night Only promises big laughs with its humorous story line and warm, yet razor sharp, romantic nature. This feels like a movie almost anyone could enjoy. It could be an instant classic with two leads who are among the most prolific performers working today – Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner.

Gluck has a history of making romantic comedies that stand-out from the pack. Though not a full-fledged rom-com, 2010’s Easy A was Emma Stone having the time of her life in the early part of her career. It grossed $50 million-plus domestically and was a certified hit. It had some romance, but was, more importantly, flat-out entertaining with nods to The Scarlet Letter as well as The Breakfast Club and Say Anything.

All bets were off with the two genuine rom-coms that Gluck made – Friends with Benefits (2011) and Anyone but You (2023). Friends with Benefits was the type of New York centered romance that moviegoers adore and it starred Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. With an excellent performance of the song, “Closing Time,” by Semisonic with a group of people dancing in Grand Central Station towards the end, the $50 million-plus grossing film was a sure crowd-pleaser that won the hearts of those who went to see it.

Anyone but You made nearly $90 million in 2023/early 2024 and starred Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in a beautiful, enjoyable movie that showcased a great song, “Bottle Rocket,” as Powell went jumping into waters to win the heart of Sweeney’s character at the end. With an all-star cast and really sweet romance, it scored a re-release around Valentine’s Day thanks to its romantic nature and fun premise. This movie was Gluck at his best and that brings us to his new film, One Night Only.

This new picture bases its unique premise on the one night where premarital sex is legal. Think of this as The Purge for rom-com audiences. What is going to push this one over the edge to make it gross $100 million-plus is the absolutely perfect cast. Barbaro is coming off great, Oscar-nominated work as Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown and Turner will now be in another high-profile romantic role so quickly after his work opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the charming Eternity. This is a dream pair of leads, and they are properly supported by Molly Ringwald (yes, Molly Ringwald of Sixteen Candles fame), Maya Hawke and King Princess who will hopefully have the juicy roles the trailers have suggested they do.

Why do we need this movie now? Audiences want to feel something that they can relate to even in a premise which would probably never happen in a million years. This movie’s plot could make one think about what would happen if a person had just one night to make dreams come true in an extraordinary day amidst many ordinary days. It’s a light, yet thought-provoking, approach to a topic that could just be of interest to anyone who has been in love or yearned to fall in love.

One Night Only has all the ingredients for a blockbuster. $100 million is a conservative estimate for the final total domestic box-office tally. There’s always the off-possibility that the new Spider-Man movie holds up well financially, but counterprogramming should help One Night Only find an appreciative audience. It could just become the definitive “what if?” romantic comedy of our generation.

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