The infamous swimming scene in the 2023 romantic comedy Anyone but You features lead characters Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) stranded on a buoy in Sydney Harbour, forcing them to strip down and swim ashore. This sequence serves as a major turning point in the film's narrative, drawing widespread attention for its production complexity, practical water stunts, and the real-world chemistry between its two lead actors.
Introduction to the Phenomenon of Anyone But You
Released in December 2023 and directed by Will Gluck, Anyone but You revitalized the traditional studio romantic comedy. Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, the film follows Bea and Ben, two people who experience an immediate mutual attraction after an initial morning meeting, only for misunderstandings to turn them hostile toward one another. Months later, they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia.
Among the film's many comedic set pieces, the swimming scene stands out as a focal point of marketing campaigns, audience discussion, and behind-the-scenes trivia. Far from being a simple dip in the water, the sequence encapsulates the film's blend of high-concept romantic comedy tropes, physical comedy, and location-based spectacle. Understanding this scene requires exploring its narrative purpose, the logistical challenges of filming in Sydney Harbour, the use of practical effects versus digital intervention, and the cultural reception that propelled the film to box office success.
Narrative Context and Plot Function
In the architecture of romantic comedies, a pivotal sequence must occur where the protagonists are stripped of their defenses, forced into proximity, and compelled to confront their underlying feelings. The swimming scene in Anyone but You fulfills this exact structural requirement.
Prior to the scene, Bea and Ben are maintaining an elaborate charade, pretending to be a couple to appease their respective families and ex-partners. While attending a boat excursion on Sydney Harbour, escalating tensions, petty arguments, and accidental mishaps leave them stranded. They manage to climb onto a floating navigational buoy in the middle of the busy harbour, far from shore.
The narrative tension relies on several constraints:
- Isolation: The buoy is too small for comfort, forcing physical closeness.
- Exposure: They are visible to passing watercraft, increasing the stakes of their embarrassment.
- Elements: Night is approaching, and the water temperature of Sydney Harbour, while manageable, adds physical discomfort.
- Ultimatum: Ben has a phobia of various harbour wildlife (specifically sharks, though the film plays this for comedic effect), while Bea realizes staying on the buoy overnight is impossible.
This setup strips away their verbal sparring. When Ben loses his shorts into the water and Bea loses hers shortly after, they are forced to swim back to shore wearing minimal undergarments, setting up a sequence of physical comedy when they arrive on a public beach.
Production Background and Location Filming
Filming a major sequence on Sydney Harbour presents significant logistical challenges for any production team. Unlike controlled studio backlot water tanks, Sydney Harbour is a functioning, highly active commercial and recreational waterway ferry route.
| Production Element | Detail / Specification |
|---|---|
| Primary Location | Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia |
| Director | Will Gluck |
| Lead Actors | Sydney Sweeney (Bea) and Glen Powell (Ben) |
| Water Safety | Supervised marine coordination team with stunt doubles for specific wide shots |
| Weather/Environment | Open water conditions requiring wetsuits underneath costumes during non-rolling moments |
According to production notes and interviews with director Will Gluck and the cast, a substantial portion of the water scenes was shot on location. While tank work was utilized for specific close-up dialogue to maintain audio clarity and safety, the wide shots incorporate the authentic backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The production team coordinated closely with local maritime authorities to secure safety perimeters. Because commercial ferries and recreational boats traverse the harbour constantly, shooting schedules had to accommodate marine traffic, leading to tight windows for capturing uninterrupted dialogue while treading water.
Practical Stunts and Special Effects
A common point of curiosity among viewers concerns how much of the swimming and shivering is real versus cinematic illusion. Both Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell underwent physical preparation for the water scenes.
Water Temperature and Comfort
While Sydney's summer climate provides warm air temperatures during daylight shooting months, harbour water can remain brisk, particularly when actors spend hours submerged between takes. The actors wore specialized thermal layering underneath their wardrobe when possible and utilized heated changing tents immediately after cut commands were given.
Wildlife Precautions
A running gag in the film involves Ben’s intense anxiety regarding marine life in Australian waters. In reality, the production employed marine biologists and safety divers who continuously scanned the perimeter for bull sharks and other local fauna to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. No actual wildlife encounters disrupted production, though the comedic emphasis on the fear of sharks became a central talking point in promotional press tours.
The Buoy Set Piece
The navigational buoy used for the stranded sequence was a specially constructed prop built to safely support the weight of both actors and camera operators, anchored stably in a controlled section of the harbour while appearing to bob helplessly in the open shipping lanes. Stunt coordinators oversaw the transition from the buoy into the water, ensuring that the comedic struggle of shedding clothes while maintaining balance appeared authentic without risking injury.
Costume Design and Wardrobe Logistics
Costume continuity during water scenes presents a notorious challenge for continuity supervisors. In the Anyone but You swimming sequence, the wardrobe shifts from resort casual wear to swimwear and undergarments, and finally to mismatched or borrowed clothing when they reach the shore.
- Initial Wardrobe: Bea wears a high-end resort dress, while Ben is dressed in casual button-down attire and shorts.
- The Transition: The loss of clothing is structured as an escalating series of accidents, requiring duplicate sets of costumes for multiple takes. Because cotton and linen garments absorb water heavily—making swimming difficult and dragging the actors downward—lightweight, quick-drying stunt doubles of the costumes were manufactured for the actual water entry sequences.
- Undergarment Continuity: The specific swimwear and undergarments worn during the climax of the scene were chosen carefully to align with studio rating guidelines while maintaining the romantic comedy aesthetic.
Reception, Marketing, and Cultural Impact
The swimming scene played a disproportionately large role in the marketing rollout of Anyone but You. Sony Pictures capitalized heavily on the physical comedy and the undeniable on-screen chemistry between Sweeney and Powell.
Clips from the buoy sequence and the subsequent beach arrival circulated widely across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube prior to the film's theatrical release. This social media-driven marketing strategy helped transform the film from a standard romantic comedy into a viral cultural moment.
Film critics noted that the scene harkened back to the classic screwball comedies of the 1990s and 2000s, where characters are routinely subjected to public humiliation as a catalyst for emotional vulnerability. The sequence proved instrumental in driving word-of-mouth attendance, helping the film achieve a remarkable theatrical box office run that defied declining trends for mid-budget romantic comedies.
Common Misconceptions About the Scene
Due to the intense online speculation and promotional interviews surrounding the film, several myths and misconceptions emerged regarding the production of the swimming scene.
- CGI Water: Some viewers speculated that the entire harbour background was composited using green screens. Production documentation confirms that while certain close-ups utilized controlled environments, the vast majority of the wide establishing views and the harbour environment are genuine footage of Sydney.
- Unplanned Accidents: Internet rumors suggested that the actors accidentally lost their clothing during an unscripted moment. In reality, every phase of the stripping sequence was meticulously storyboarded, choreographed, and rehearsed with stunt coordinators to balance physical humor with PG-13 comedic framing.
- Real Danger: While marine safety is paramount in open-water shoots, the actors were never subjected to real risk from shipping lanes or hazardous marine life, thanks to a robust safety cordon maintained by the New South Wales maritime security teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the Anyone But You swimming scene filmed?
The scene was filmed on location in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, featuring authentic backdrops including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and surrounding maritime landmarks, supplemented by controlled water tank shots for specific close-up dialogue.
Did Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell use stunt doubles for the swimming sequence?
While professional stunt doubles were utilized for specific wide shots requiring complex physical maneuvers or extended open-water swimming, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell performed the majority of their own dialogue scenes on the buoy and the initial water entries.
Is the water in Sydney Harbour safe for swimming during production?
Yes. Sydney Harbour features numerous designated swimming spots, and commercial film productions operate under strict environmental and health guidelines overseen by local authorities to ensure water safety for cast and crew.
How did the swimming scene impact the film's box office success?
Clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the swimming and buoy sequence became viral sensations on social media platforms like TikTok, driving significant pre-release awareness and helping draw audiences to theaters.
Are there sharks in the area where they filmed?
While Sydney Harbour is a marine ecosystem that hosts various aquatic species, the production maintained a dedicated team of marine safety experts and divers to monitor the perimeter and ensure the complete safety of the cast.
Practical Next Actions and Viewing Recommendations
For viewers interested in examining the technical execution and comedic timing of the scene firsthand, watching the sequence with commentary tracks—when available on physical media or digital distribution platforms—provides direct insight from director Will Gluck regarding the logistical hurdles of open-water comedy filmmaking. Comparing this sequence to classic water-stranded romantic comedies offers further appreciation for how modern Hollywood revives traditional genre mechanics.
