The Half of It: Netflix is making a teen lesbian rom-com

Leah Lewis and Alexxis Lemire are set to star in the lesbian rom-com

Netflix has announced a lesbian teenage romantic comedy film, The Half of It.

According to Deadline, Charmed actor Leah Lewis is set to star in in the teen romance as Chinese-American school student Ellie Chu.

The Half of It: Netflix lesbian rom-com has a diverse cast

A release explains: “A shy, introverted, Chinese-American, straight-A student finds herself helping the school jock woo the girl they both secretly love.

“In the process, each teaches the other about the nature of love as they find connection in the most unlikely of places.”

Alexxis Lemire, Leah Lewis and Daniel Diemer are set to star in The Half of It

Alexxis Lemire, Leah Lewis and Daniel Diemer are set to star in The Half of It

Alice Wu, who wrote and directed 2004 lesbian movie Saving Face, is behind the project, which also stars Alexxis Lemire and Daniel Diemer.

Netflix described the story as “a modern day Cyrano-meets-Pygmalion.”

Production on the film has only just begun, according to Deadline, so a release date is likely still some way off.

Fans are excited for lesbian rom-com

Lesbians on social media were thrilled at the prospect of the diverse, queer rom-com.

A Twitter user wrote: “LESBIAN NETFLIX MOVIE WHERE DO I SIGN UP.”

Another added: “Let’s talk about how I went on a Netflix rom-com binge last weekend and was telling my friends how much I wanted a lesbian teen rom-com, and now today I found out there’s going to be an Asian-American lesbian teen rom-com take on Cyrano de Bergerac I’m CRYING.”


One Twitter user quipped: “WE’RE FINALLY GETTING OUR LESBIAN NETFLIX MOVIE THIS IS OUR TIME TO SHATTER THE HETEROPATRIARCHY LAID EASE.”

Others remarked on the long time it took for the film, which is only Wu’s second feature, to be made.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the script was previously on the 2018 Black List of unmade Hollywood gems.

There was more good news for fans of LGBT+ teen romantic comedy earlier this month, as Disney announced a TV follow-up to Love, Simon.

The show, which will air on streaming service Disney+, will serve as a followup to the acclaimed 2018 gay film, which starred Nick Robinson.

While the source material for the film was Becky Albertalli’s 2015 novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the TV show will be based on follow-up to the hit book, Leah on the Offbeat.

The sequel focuses on Leah, Simon Spier’s best friend, as she deals with teen issues like self-confidence, body image, friendship and love.

13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford played Leah in the film, but the TV show will reportedly have a new cast.