The late nineties and early aughts were packed with Black-led tales of romance that brought us iconic pairings: Nina and Darius. Monica and Quincy. Syd and Dre. Harper and Robyn (…or Jordan?). However, the last decade brought with it a drought of those same narratives, “the death of the rom-com” trending as studios shifted their focus to big-budget blockbusters. Consequently, these days it’s rare to see Black love celebrated with a dose of humor on the silver screen in theaters. Even rarer is getting to see the brand of lighthearted, joyful, boy-meets-girl goodness wrapped in family-friendly quips that make up the PG-13–rated romantic comedy.

Producer Will Packer is here to change that. The man who brought the world the Think Like a Man film franchise and About Last Night remake has tapped actress and singer Halle Bailey and dreamboat actor Regé-Jean Page to star in the hotly anticipated, aspirational love story, You, Me & Tuscany. The flick is a warmhearted intercontinental romance with the full breadth and budget that these stories deserve.

“I hadn’t seen that movie for a minute,” Page says of his enthusiasm to sign on as Michael, the film’s central love interest. “All of that cute, soft stuff. I haven’t seen [actors who look like] Halle and me on-screen doing that. And that was a huge appeal.”

Page is a veteran of the heartthrob genre, having built a swooning fan base with ease as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, on the mega-hit, streaming rom-drama, Bridgerton. But even though he’s used to cranking up the smolder and charm in an idyllic setting, the actor says this particular telling—a courtship set abroad—is a welcome departure.

“It’s a new place for me to be because, yes, I’ve done romance before, but I hadn’t done this movie.”

Reminiscent of rom-com classics like While You Were Sleeping, Under the Tuscan Sun and My Big Fat Greek Wedding—complete with a tongue-in-cheek cameo from the latter’s star, Nia Vardalos—You, Me & Tuscany maps the journey of Anna (Bailey), an adventurous and ambitious young woman who has lost her way after a personal tragedy. Following a serendipitous encounter with a sexy stranger, she impulsively books a trip to Italy and quickly stumbles into a charade that not only clears a path back to her true self but also unlocks long-closed doors of the heart.

Though the formula sounds familiar (a meet-cute followed by high jinks that lead to an unexpected love affair sprouting amid the vines in a sun-soaked countryside), very rarely does the woman at the center of such a story look like Bailey.  

“It was so important for me to be a part of a project where I could see myself on-screen, where I could see Black love on-screen,” Bailey says. “A film where I can see us figuring it out in a joyful way.”

Though no stranger to the big screen herself, Bailey’s turn as Anna is a notable departure from the girlish roles she’s had in big-ticket films like The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple. This time, the starlet is fully, proudly seated in her womanhood.

“I am in my very grown woman era,” Bailey states. “This is the first project that I am showing myself in my full adulthood. And I loved it because it reflects the times that I’m in right now.

“Even though [Anna] is still trying to figure some things out, she is very headstrong and she knows what she wants for her future,” she adds. “It takes a minute to get there. And I feel like we all can relate to that. We’re all on our own life journey. There are ups and downs and you fall along the way—but you get back up.”

While a delightful romance at its core, Tuscany traverses those ups and downs to explore several other forms of love—family, friendship, self-love—and grief. Nestled between the laughs and long glances our story’s stars exchange is an examination of who we become when we lose sight of ourselves and the work of rediscovery. As such, both Bailey and Page had to dig deep to bring pieces of their own personalities and pains to the characters and learn to share that with each other.

“[Anna] had a bit of a wall up in the beginning of the film because she’s been on her own for a little bit,” Bailey says, noting her ability to relate to Anna’s persona. “I do feel sometimes you put up a wall for people, thinking, Oh I’ve got to be a little guarded. I’ve got to be strong here. I don’t want them to see me sweat.”

“What Michael and I share is that we’re both very fastidious,” Page says of his character. “We’re both very head-down, get the work done. We have a very strong sense of responsibility.

“One of the things I remember most on set was Halle turning to me one day, going, ‘What about fun? What about adventure?’” he continues. “And that’s very much the journey the characters are on—letting your costar unlock the pieces of you that can trust someone else, and that can lean into the pieces of you that you’re holding back.”

He adds, “This movie is very much about learning to trust each other. When you’re doing romantic stories, it’s about building an emotional trust with each other, knowing that you can go to places where you are expressing very, very vulnerable things. Also, we met each other at a very vulnerable place.”

The place in question? The 2025 Met Gala. Though it looks like an A-list prom of sorts with all the stars of film, fashion, sports and television converging to sit at the popular kids’ tables, as Page reveals, “It’s a room full of incredibly glamorous, lonely, scared people.”

Each arriving solo and without a plus-one, Page and Bailey gravitated to each other with the knowledge they would be working together soon. They let their nerves and guards down to forge a fast friendship while bonding over a legendary surprise performance from Stevie Wonder and Usher. The result was their undeniable on-screen chemistry. 

With those vibes at the core of what makes Tuscany tick, it’s actually the actors’ chemistry with their Italian cast members, as well, that truly make the film soar.

For Page, it was important to depict the ways Black people are embraced in other parts of the world and the ways we add to the culture wherever we land. “I feel like you don’t often see that image of us just going out into the world, adventuring and making found family in faraway places,” he says. “You don’t just go to the world and see what the rest of the world is like. You also bring yourself to the world and see where our similarities are and where we connect— seeing value and being valued.”

Both Bailey and Page agree that You, Me & Tuscany is a film best enjoyed with others. Whether you’re on a date night or a family outing, the movie brings the laughs, introspection, and yes, the drama that a memorable love story needs.

“Yeah, there are bad decisions, there’s mess, but it’s playful,” Bailey says laughing. “I would, for sure, take my family and friends and just have a great time [in the theater] feeling good.”

“The joy, the love, the laughs, the lightheartedness, the escape from everyday outside the cinema,” Page adds. “Take a break from life for a couple of hours. Come sit in the dark with your friends, with your family, and strangers, and imagine life as it could be if you broke out of your own rut and said, ‘Do you know what? I’m going to live my best life.’”

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Photographer: @giulia_parmigiani_photography
Production: @lumina_productions_
Talent: @hallebailey and @regejean

Halle Bailey

Styling: @bryonjavar
Hair: @sparkyourhair
Makeup: @beautybychrisc

Rége-Jean Page

Stylist: @holly_macnaghten
Groomer: @carlosferraz_
Barber: Ajay Ramesh
Special Thanks To @universalpictures

ESSENCE

Editorial Director: @ghostwritervic 
Manager of Content Operations: @shelbylnstewart
VP, of Social & Special Projects: @mentionme 
Visuals Director: @hashtag_bre
Art Director: @so.lit
Writer: @bougiebadazz