In a world where love stories can feel as filtered as Instagram posts, “Picture This” brings a fresh focus to the romantic comedy scene.

It pairs two of Hollywood’s beloved young stars—Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley and After’s Hero Fiennes Tiffin—in a tale of love, laughter, and second chances.

Set against the charming backdrop of the U.K., Picture This tells the story of Pia, a struggling photographer whose well-meaning but meddlesome family sends her on a series of blind dates that range from awkward to downright disastrous. Just as Pia is ready to swear off love for good, her past comes calling in the form of her ex, Charlie, played by Fiennes Tiffin. Their reunion is both unexpected and complicated, testing the idea that love might truly be lovelier the second time around.

For Simone Ashley, the role of Pia is more than just another step in her skyrocketing career—it’s a personal triumph. As a South Asian actress headlining a major studio rom-com, Ashley is helping to shift an industry that has often relegated diverse talent to the sidelines.

Over Zoom, the stars shared what this project means to them and how they feel about second chances.

“I grew up watching rom-coms,” Ashley said. ”I always wanted to be part of this kind of world in this genre of storytelling. So I was really influenced by the world of Bend It Like Beckham, Bridget Jones, and I was just so happy that we could come together and be part of such an amazing cast and bring this to life.”

Fiennes Tiffin, meanwhile, believes in the power of second chances, both on and off the screen.

“In a relationship, if someone does something wrong, you want to teach them how to be better rather than just shrug them off,” he says. “So I think, generally speaking, second chances are important and  should be encouraged. They had so much space and years apart, yeah, they’ve grown, and a lot has changed since then. So it’s worth exploring the second chance.”

That chemistry wasn’t just limited to the screen. According to Fiennes Tiffin, Ashley was a natural leader on set, creating an environment that was both professional and playful.

“From the moment I walked into meet everyone at the table read, I feel like Simone had taken it upon herself to make sure that everyone felt really comfortable, and that wasn’t a sacrifice of the quality of work.” he recalls. “It was like, ‘We’re gonna work hard and make this as good as we can, but we’re also gonna have fun while we’re doing it.’ And balancing those two is tough, but I think you did a great job.”

Ashley is quick to return the compliment. “I tell this to everyone: Hero is one of the most grounded costars I’ve ever worked with, like, super chill. (To Hero) You really are so dedicated to your craft. You’re very kind on set and that goes on such a long way.”

Also in the cast are Ted Lasso’s Phil Dunster and Luke Fetherston, who plays Pia’s best friend Jay. Fetherston was drawn to the authenticity of Jay and Pia’s friendship, appreciating how Jay defies the typical “gay best friend” trope often seen in rom-coms.

“I loved the relationship that was written between Jay and Pia. It felt very authentic to the relationships I have with my girlfriends in real life, and I enjoy that the role of Jay kind of challenges the stereotypical representation of gay best friend. And I think Jay is more layered, a little bit more,” Fetherston says. “He offers a bit more depth, and he kind of takes her on this journey. He has an emotional arc with her, alongside her, next to her, which was really nice and refreshing.”

The film’s roots can be traced back to Filipino Korean American writer-producer Nathan Ramos-Park, who co-wrote the 2024 Australian hit “Five Blind Dates” that inspired “Picture This.”

Ramos-Park, who also serves as an associate producer for “Picture This,” reveals that the story was initially pitched as a reality show concept before evolving into a film that explores love’s unexpected twists with humor and heart.

“Shu (Shuang Hu), she co-wrote the original with me. When I had met with Amazon International a couple years ago, maybe 2019, I originally had this idea for a reality show actually called Five Blind Dates, where someone who’s kind of hopeless with love, maybe their brother and sister would pick a date for them, their parents, their best friends.” Nathan Park says, adding that his love of kilig rom-com stories came from his Filipino background.

“Picture This” is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.