Rom-Coms
‘Ginny & Georgia’s Sara Waisglass Joins ‘How to Lose a Popularity Contest’ Rom-Com: Everything We Know
Tubi’s the new epicenter of the teen rom-com! Fresh off Sidelined: The QB & Me‘s success (which has a sequel coming up), the streamer has another romantic comedy on the way: How to Lose a Popularity Contest.
The movie is based on The Love List’s 2024 “Best Unproduced Romance Scripts” by Kaitlin Reilly and Dorian Keyes. How to Lose a Popularity Contest features two of young Hollywood’s most in-demand stars. From the cast to what we know about a release date, scroll down to get the latest updates about How to Lose a Popularity Contest.
Who is in How to Lose a Popularity Contest?
Actor, singer, and TikTok star Chase Hudson will play the leading role of Nate. After his rise in the world of TikTok, Hudson made music his primary focus and released his debut album, Teenage Heartbreak, in 2021. He starred in Downfalls High, the movie adaptation of Machine Gun Kelly‘s album, Tickets to My Downfall. How to Lose a Popularity Contest will mark Hudson’s first-ever rom-com!
On June 30, Tubi announced that Ginny & Georgia breakout Sara Waisglass had joined the cast as Hudson’s leading lady, Ellie. Waisglass plays the vivacious and larger than life Max in the Netflix series, which recently dropped Season 3 and will return for Season 4.
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“I have wanted to be part of a rom-com since I was a little kid, and this script is that and so much more. We’re having the best time making it, and I can’t wait for people to see the film,” Waisglass said in a statement.
Hudson added, “Sara has all the qualities of a true rom-com actress. She’s so sweet and funny and a true pro when it comes to her craft! I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.”
When is How to Lose a Popularity Contest coming out?
How to Lose a Popularity Contest doesn’t have a premiere date yet. Production is now underway, so it’ll likely be 2026 before the film drops.
The film is part of Tubi’s growing young adult programming slate. The highly anticipated Sidelined sequel, Sidelined 2: Intercepted, is expected to be released later this year. The first film, starring Noah Beck and Siena Agudong, dropped in November 2024 and became a huge hit for the streaming service.
What is How to Lose a Popularity Contest about?
How to Lose a Popularity Contest follows Ellie, an organized perfectionist who has accepted her fate as an unpopular high schooler looking forward to a future at a prestigious college where no one will call her “Max,” the unfortunate nickname she received from Nate (Hudson) years ago.
The movie is a “sharp, flirty high school rom-com about a charming underachiever and a type-A overachiever teaming up to win student body president — and maybe each other.”
How to Lose a Popularity Contest, TBA, Tubi
