Twenty-three years after Andie Anderson and Benjamin Barry turned dating into a hilarious battle of wills, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is finally heading toward a sequel. Paramount is developing a follow-up to the 2003 romantic comedy, with original star Kate Hudson attached as a producer. The project is still in its early stages, but the studio and filmmakers hope Hudson and Matthew McConaughey will return to the roles that made their on-screen chemistry a rom-com favorite.
There is still a long road ahead before the sequel reaches a theater. A screenwriter has not yet been selected, several creative positions remain open and the cast has not been officially confirmed, meaning Hudson and McConaughey’s return is currently an intention rather than a finalized casting announcement. That distinction matters because the eventual script will play a major role in deciding how much of the original couple’s story comes back.
Kate Hudson Is Helping Bring Andie Back
Hudson’s involvement gives the project a stronger connection to the original than a conventional legacy sequel would have. She is attached to produce alongside Stacey Sher through Hudson’s Shiny Penny banner, while Sher brings an extensive producing background that includes Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich, Gattaca, Vanilla Sky and Django Unchained.
The bigger question is whether Hudson will step in front of the camera as Andie Anderson again. Paramount and the filmmakers want her back, and the same is true for McConaughey as Benjamin Barry, but the project is currently looking for a writer. Until the story and script take shape, neither star’s return can be treated as officially locked.
That uncertainty is not necessarily a bad sign. Hudson has previously made it clear that a sequel would need the right script, and in 2024 she said she and McConaughey were open to returning if they liked the material. The two actors also reunited in 2023 for a 20th-anniversary celebration of the film, showing that the relationship between the stars and the movie has remained warm long after its original release.
For McConaughey, a return would be particularly interesting because the actor spent much of the 2010s deliberately moving away from the romantic-comedy image that defined part of his early career. Films such as Mud, The Wolf of Wall Street, Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club helped reshape his screen persona, with the latter earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He has since been much more selective about his film appearances, making a return to Benjamin Barry a potentially significant career callback.
Why This Rom-Com Is Getting a Sequel Now
The timing could hardly be more obvious. Hollywood is once again mining the late 1990s and early 2000s for properties that already have recognition, nostalgia and established fan bases, and recent releases have shown studios that audiences can still turn out for familiar titles when the revival feels worthwhile. The Devil Wears Prada 2, Scary Movie and Toy Story 5 are among the major 2026 examples cited in coverage of the trend, while Practical Magic 2, Focker-In-Law, Shrek 5 and Greta Gerwig’s Narnia are keeping the nostalgia cycle moving.
But How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has one advantage that many legacy properties do not: its central appeal was always the chemistry between its two leads. The original was built around Andie, a magazine columnist researching an article about dating, and Benjamin, an advertising executive who makes a bet that he can make a woman fall for him within 10 days. Neither knows the other is playing a game, which turns their relationship into a wonderfully messy competition before the two inevitably fall for each other.
That premise gave the 2003 movie a simple hook that remains easy to understand more than two decades later. Donald Petrie’s film also benefited from a supporting cast that included Kathryn Hahn, Adam Goldberg, Thomas Lennon, Michael Michele and Shalom Harlow. The movie reportedly earned around $177.5 million worldwide against a $50 million production budget, establishing itself as one of the recognizable romantic comedies of the era.
The sequel therefore has a tricky job. It cannot simply recreate Andie and Ben’s original dating game because audiences already know how that story ends, but it also cannot abandon the chemistry that made the first film work. The most interesting version would find a new relationship problem for the couple while allowing the sequel to acknowledge how much their lives have changed since 2003.
What Could Happen in How to Lose a Guy 2?
Right now, there is no official plot for How to Lose a Guy 2. The story is still being developed, and the search for a screenwriter means even the basic direction of the sequel remains subject to change. There is also no announced release date, production schedule or finalized supporting cast at this stage.
That leaves plenty of possibilities without making any of them official. Andie and Ben could return as an established couple dealing with a completely different phase of their relationship, or the sequel could use their professional lives to create another romantic competition. The challenge will be finding a premise that feels connected to the original without turning the movie into a collection of references designed only to trigger nostalgia.
For Hudson, the producer role could give her greater influence over that balance. She knows the character of Andie better than almost anyone involved with the original, while her continued work in comedy and television gives her a chance to approach the character from a different point in her career. McConaughey’s possible return would then provide the other half of the equation that made the first film so memorable.
For now, though, fans should treat How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2 as a project in development rather than a movie that is ready to shoot. Paramount has the sequel moving, Hudson is attached to produce, and the filmmakers want the original stars back, but the script still has to come together first. If that happens, one of the most recognizable rom-com couples of the 2000s could finally get another date.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Sequel: Q&A
Is a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days sequel happening?
Yes. Paramount is developing a sequel to the 2003 romantic comedy, although the project remains in the early stages.
Will Kate Hudson return as Andie Anderson?
The filmmakers and studio intend to have Hudson reprise Andie, but her acting return has not been officially finalized because the sequel is still searching for a screenwriter.
Will Matthew McConaughey return as Benjamin Barry?
The intention is for McConaughey to reprise Benjamin, but his return has not been formally confirmed.
Who is producing How to Lose a Guy 2?
Kate Hudson is attached to produce alongside Stacey Sher through Hudson’s Shiny Penny banner.
Does the sequel have a release date?
No release date has been announced. The project is still in early development and does not yet have a finalized creative team.
What was the original How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days about?
The 2003 film followed magazine writer Andie Anderson and advertising executive Benjamin Barry, who secretly pursue opposite goals while dating each other before unexpectedly falling in love.
