The After franchise, a global phenomenon born from Anna Todd’s Wattpad sensation, surprised fans in August 2022 when lead actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin announced that a fifth film, titled After Everything, had already wrapped filming. This revelation, shared via a video on the official After Instagram account, came just weeks before the release of After Ever Happy, which was initially thought to be the saga’s finale. Tiffin’s announcement sparked excitement and speculation about the future of Hardin Scott and Tessa Young’s tumultuous romance, while also raising questions about the direction of the series, especially given its departure from the original novels. With After Everything marking the conclusion of Hardin and Tessa’s story, this article explores the significance of Tiffin’s announcement, the film’s production, and its impact on the franchise’s legacy.
The After series, which began with the 2019 film After, follows the passionate yet volatile relationship between Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a brooding bad boy, and Tessa Young (Josephine Langford), a dedicated college student. Adapted from Todd’s novels, the franchise has released four films—After (2019), After We Collided (2020), After We Fell (2021), and After Ever Happy (2022)—grossing over $150 million worldwide despite mixed critical reviews. The announcement of After Everything, made on August 24, 2022, confirmed that the saga would extend beyond the four books, with Tiffin stating, “I’m so excited to finally share some massive news with you all. We have just wrapped filming on the fifth After movie. I can’t tell you too much about it just yet, but I can tell you that it will be called After Everything and I cannot wait for you all to see it”.
Unlike the first four films, which directly adapted Todd’s novels, After Everything is an original story written and directed by Castille Landon, marking a significant departure from the source material. The film, released on September 13, 2023, focuses on Hardin’s journey a year after his breakup with Tessa, who ended their relationship in After Ever Happy upon discovering he published a book about their romance without her consent. Hardin, grappling with writer’s block and emotional turmoil, travels to Lisbon, Portugal, to make amends with a former flame, Natalie (Mimi Keene), while reflecting on his past with Tessa through flashbacks. This shift in focus, prioritizing Hardin’s personal growth over the “Hessa” romance, surprised fans expecting a direct adaptation of Todd’s novella Before or the epilogue from After Ever Happy.
Tiffin’s announcement was a pivotal moment for the franchise, as it contradicted earlier assumptions that After Ever Happy would conclude Hardin and Tessa’s story. Initially, two additional films were announced in April 2021: a prequel, Before, focusing on a younger Hardin (not played by Tiffin), and a next-generation sequel centered on Tessa and Hardin’s children, Emery, Auden, and their cousin Addy, without Tiffin or Langford reprising their roles. However, After Everything emerged as an unexpected fifth chapter, filmed concurrently with After Ever Happy in Bulgaria and Portugal during late 2020 and 2021, amidst COVID-19 protocols. The secrecy surrounding its production, only revealed by Tiffin’s Instagram video, heightened anticipation, with the caption “Hessa’s story isn’t over” fueling excitement.
