Summary

• Upgraded is a romantic comedy starring Camila Mendes as Ana, an art gallery intern who finds herself in a whirlwind romance in London.
• The film has received rave reviews for its quirky storytelling, complex female characters, and charming male lead played by Archie Renaux.
• Renaux discusses his on-screen chemistry with Mendes and the dynamic with Lena Olin and Anthony Head, who play his character's parents in the film.

Upgraded, Prime Video's newest romcom, is the perfect movie for both Valentine's Day and Galentine's Day. Directed by Carlson Young, the film stars Riverdale's Camila Mendes as art gallery intern Ana Santos, who has been struggling to get by in New York City before catching her big break. Said break comes in the form of a first-class flight to London to help boss Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei) on an important project, but her trip soon takes a detour into the land meet-cutes and mistaken identities.

Shadow and Bone's Archie Renaux plays Will, whose wealthy lifestyle first catches Ana's eye before his sincerity and the warmth of his actress mother Catherine (Lena Olin) capture her heart. When Ana learns that her career indirectly rests in Catherine's hands, however, she must decide whether to proceed with the facade she's created or be honest with those around her.

Screen Rant interviewed Renaux about the flirtation at first sight in Upgraded, what he took away from the art world introduced in the movie, and how he feels about the Shadow and Bone cast and fandom post-cancelation.

Archie Renaux Talks Upgraded And Shadow & Bone

Screen Rant: I really love the mistaken identity trope and how that leads to a fun little rom-com. But what is it that you think draws Will to Ana in the first place?

Archie Renaux: I think that he at first found her quite amusing, having spilled Bloody Mary all over his tros. Obviously, that bit wasn't so amusing, but then I think he sort of calms down and sees she's taken full advantage of being in first class, maybe not looking like she fit in there, and then kind of feeling like, "Oh, this person's interesting. Okay, let's see what this is all about." I think he might've been a bit attracted to her looks, maybe. [Laughs]

You and Camila obviously have great chemistry, but the scenes with Lena Olin and Anthony Head are also really fun with that little family unit happening. What was that dynamic like on set?

Archie Renaux: It was pretty incredible actually because Lena and Anthony [just] fell into these characters. It was quite amazing, and it kind of gave me the backstory on, "Oh, this is what this relationship's been like. This is how it's been for Will growing up. It is been like this." You could see history there, so it was quite easy.

Given that art is at the center of the story, do you have a favorite artist or did you learn anything you didn't know about modern art while filming?

Archie Renaux: I'm really bad about art. Let me have a little think. I do like Damien Hirst. I like the skull with all the diamonds on. Very bling.

I have to say I loved you in Shadow and Bone, which was taken from us too soon. How has it been for you to see the outpouring of love from the fans and still ongoing campaigns to save the show?

Archie Renaux: Yeah, that's been incredible. That has really kind of blown my mind. I've seen it, the petitions and stuff. It's amazing how much of a community that fan base is. There was one of them... I think they've made a poster in London and LA as well. Certainly in London. I think it was near Baker Street.

Yeah, it's quite mind-blowing that, how ionate they are and how much love they have for it. I think they've got each other; they've got this mutual thing that they love. I have it with football. I've got a community of Chelsea fans. I'm in a Chelsea chat, and we've got the same thing. We've got this love for Chelsea, and now we've met each other. We go to games and stuff and buy and sell tickets, and we've got this little community now.

It's good that Shadow and Bone has kind of left that behind. The books were always there. I think it'll always be on Netflix too. That's just a shame we didn't get to at least round it off a little bit.

About Upgraded

In this romantic comedy, Ana Santos (Camila Mendes) is a smart and ambitious art enthusiast with dreams of running her own gallery. She is currently paying dues as an unpaid trainee at a premiere NYC auction house, run by the influential and demanding Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei). When Ana is sent on her first work trip and gets unexpectedly upgraded to first class, she meets the handsome and well-connected Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a series of fortuitous events and VIP introductions that suddenly have Ana winning at work and caught up in a whirlwind romance she never expected. However, this little white lie begins to unravel, threatening to ruin Ana’s career and newfound romance.

Check out our other interviews here:

• Camila Mendes
• Carlson Young

Upgraded is now streaming on Prime Video.

Source: Screen Rant Plus