Get ready to clear your calendars for August, because things are about to get very interesting at the local multiplex.
Universal Pictures turned up the temperature at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday, unveiling the first trailer for the high-concept sex comedy One Night Only. Starring the internet’s favorite leading man, Callum Turner, and Top Gun: Maverick standout Monica Barbaro, the film is already being hailed as the next viral rom-com obsession.
The movie, directed by Will Gluck—the mastermind behind hits like Easy A and last year’s sleeper sensation Anyone but You—takes place in a world with a wild twist. In this reality, there is only one night a year where premarital sex is legally permitted.
The trailer introduces us to Turner and Barbaro as two strangers navigating the chaos of this legally-sanctioned “free-for-all” in hopes of finding a genuine connection amidst the madness.
Social media is already buzzing over the chemistry between the two leads. In one standout moment from the trailer, the pair engages in some top-tier banter. “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had,” Barbaro tells Turner. “I think it’s better than sex—I can’t remember.”
Later, the tension ramps up as they trade playful insults. “Your legs don’t make any sense,” Turner quips, to which Barbaro fires back, “Your hairline doesn’t make any sense.”
It’s the kind of “enemies-to-lovers” energy that platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) live for. “Callum Turner in a rom-com? My theater ticket is already purchased,” one fan joked on X shortly after the trailer description leaked.
The film boasts a massive ensemble cast that is a total Gen-Z and Millennial fever dream. Joining the lead duo are Stranger Things star Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, and Este Haim of the band HAIM. If that weren’t enough, icons Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton also round out the cast.
While the premise is undeniably spicy, Barbaro’s character seems to be looking for more than just a quick fling. At one point in the trailer, she laments, “This night’s insane. I just wanted to find, like, a good guy.”
The project arrives with a lot of pedigree; it actually topped the Black List—Hollywood’s annual list of the best unproduced screenplays—under its original script by Travis Braun. Gluck eventually stepped in to write the final script and direct.
Turner has been on a major hot streak recently, following his acclaimed roles in Masters of the Air and The Boys in the Boat. Barbaro is also coming off a massive career high, including her Oscar-nominated performance in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
With its “only-one-night” premise and a cast full of fan favorites, One Night Only looks poised to be the breakout hit of the summer. It’s funny, it’s sexy, and it’s definitely going to have everyone talking.
One Night Only hits theaters on August . Keep your eyes peeled—this is one night you won’t want to miss.
