Exclusive Interview
‘Ordinary Girl in a Tiara’ Boss Talks Harlequin Romance’s LGBTQ+ Spin: ‘Fairy Tales Evolve’
What To Know
- Ordinary Girl in a Tiara is an upcoming sapphic rom-com adaptation of a Harlequin novel.
- It follows vintage fashion lover Caro and couture heiress Philippa, who begin as opposites before falling for each other.
- Executive producer Craig Cegielski teases the movie’s playful humor, the leads’ magnetic chemistry, and more.
While sapphic romance movies are entering the mainstream more often as of late, it’s still not all that common to find ones in the rom-com format. Enter Harlequin’s Ordinary Girl in a Tiara, which sees polar opposites Caro (Katharine King So) and Philippa (Kathryn Gallagher) clash, but ultimately fall for each other.
The sixth and final Harlequin rom-com to drop on The CW this year, Ordinary Girl in a Tiara maintains the essence of Jessica Hart’s book of the same name — an ordinary woman being swept into an extraordinary world — but it’s been adapted for a modern audience, says executive producer Craig Cegielski.
In the book, Philippa is instead Prince Philippe, who whisks Caro into a fake-dating scheme. Rather than placing the ordinary Caro in the world of royalty, as the book does, the rom-com blends vintage and high-end fashion. Caro is a vintage fashion devotee who gives couture heiress — and her childhood nemesis — Philippa a place to stay. Once they’re under one roof, sparks begin to fly.
“We were blessed to have [the author’s] support, as well as Harlequin’s, to reimagine her story as an LGBTQ+ romance with the focus on the emotional DNA of the book — self-discovery, courage, and love that defies convention,” explains Cegielski, who’s helming every Harlequin title hitting the network. “By centering the film on two women, we weren’t changing the story’s essence; we were widening the lens to reflect the wider world.”
Viewers can go into the rom-com expecting that one key difference, but Ordinary Girl in a Tiara still offers everything audiences have come to love about the genre, the EP adds. Though there’s plenty of humor and banter woven into Caro and Phillipa’s journey, it’s also a love story about rediscovery and acceptance.
“Both women enter the film defined by expectation — one by nostalgia and the other by image — and through each other, they find authenticity,” Cegielski says. “Their journey isn’t about one rescuing the other. It’s about two people helping each other evolve — personally, professionally, and emotionally. That makes the romance both timeless and contemporary.”
A rom-com also needs magnetic leads with playful-yet-heartfelt chemistry, and Cegielski found them in King So and Gallagher. “Katharine brings this grounded warmth and sly humor to Caro, while Kathryn radiates confidence and a kind of messy vulnerability that makes Philippa so relatable,” the EP says. “From their first table read, it was clear they shared something special, an ease and rhythm that makes every glance and line between them feel charged and honest.”
Of course, Ordinary Girl in a Tiara‘s premise also means that viewers are in for a glamorous and stylish ride as well as an emotional and humorous one. “Fashion is practically its own character,” Cegielski says. “There’s an elegance and playfulness to the wardrobe that enhances both the romance and the humor. Every outfit says something about who these women are and who they’re becoming.”
The EP hopes that Caro and Philippa’s love story makes viewers believe that “taking a chance on yourself can change everything.” He adds, “Ordinary Girl in a Tiara is about owning who you are, embracing your differences, and realizing that love in all its forms is what makes life extraordinary. Fairy tales evolve, but the emotional truth never changes: Everyone deserves to be seen, loved, and celebrated for exactly who they are.”
Ordinary Girl in a Tiara, Movie Premiere, December 20, 8/7c, The CW
