Gabrielle Union tells THR on the red carpet why 'The Idea of You' was a story she wanted to tell and reveals it all started with her friend Robinne Lee. Hear how she "broke down" after reading the story.
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00:00Why was this a story that you wanted to tell?
00:02Well, because my girlfriend wrote the book, Robin Lee, who's an incredible author and talent.
00:08We met on Deliver Us from Eva about 25 years ago.
00:15We played sisters, and we've been like sisters ever since.
00:17So this was her first book, and of course we got to read every draft.
00:20By the end, by the final manuscript that was about to be turned in to her editor,
00:27I read it, and I broke down.
00:30I was like, oh my gosh.
00:31Then I slid it to my husband, who read it just as fast.
00:33He loved it as well, but for different reasons.
00:36I was like, this is a movie.
00:39I asked her if we could produce.
00:41This is before the book is even really in the world.
00:44She agreed.
00:45As we started getting in the weeds of producing, I realized this could be huge.
00:50I wanted to bring on another powerful woman producer who could really help us.
00:58In walks Oscar winner Kathy Schulman.
01:01It's a feast of saints.
01:04I'm just really, really proud.
01:06It all starts with my girlfriend and our love of boy bands.
01:09I wanted to ask, did you ever consider being a part of the movie, or did you always want to stand behind the scenes?
01:15Before we brought on Kathy, people thought that I was going to star in it,
01:19because this is the first thing I've produced that I'm not in.
01:23I was like, no, no, no.
01:25This is a different story.
01:28By that time, I'd already found Tia Williams' book, The Perfect Find,
01:30and we'd already started on that for me.
01:32I'm like, this is a very specific story, and the right actress will hopefully attach herself.
01:39Once Anne said that she was like, I kind of am obsessed with this, I love this,
01:44that's our Celine.
01:47Come on.
01:49Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen.
01:52I'm so excited for fans to finally see it.
01:54The reaction is already insane.
01:56It's insane.
01:58Our fake boy band got offered a record deal.
02:01They're not real, but yeah.