Exclusive Interview
Katherine McNamara Shares New Details About ‘Cheap AF’ Rom-Com
What To Know
- Katherine McNamara stars in the upcoming rom-com Cheap AF.
- The movie follows one woman’s quest to win a budget wedding competition.
- The cast also includes McNamara’s fellow Shadowhunters alum Alberto Rosende, Arden Cho, and comedian Margaret Cho.
Katherine McNamara is in her rom-com era. After leading Harlequin’s Montana Mavericks for The CW, the Shadowhunters alum has many more romance-centric projects coming up — including Cheap AF.
“I had so much fun on that movie,” the actress told Swooon in November, about two months after her involvement was announced. McNamara called the project a “love fest” on Instagram, which is exactly what it sounded like when she told us about her experience working alongside her Cheap AF castmates.
Among them are McNamara’s longtime friend Arden Cho, as well as her Shadowhunters costar Alberto Rosende, with whom she hasn’t shared the screen in five years. Comedian Margaret Cho, Josh Plasse, and Toan Le round out the rest of the ensemble, and first-time feature director Roy Hsu directs.
“Arden Cho also has been a friend of mine for over 12 years, and I’ve never gotten to work with her, so getting to do that with her and play her best friend onscreen, getting to work with Alberto again…” McNamara listed off. “Josh Plasse, who plays my fiancé in the film, is a good friend of mine, and Margaret Cho is a veritable legend of the comedy world.”
Cheap AF puts the Teen Wolf alum in the lead as thrifty influencer Carol. She sets out to win Wedding Magazine’s “Best Wedding on a Budget” competition, but her dedication to getting her big break risks ruining both her wedding and personal relationships, per the film’s logline. Assumedly, one of those relationships will include Carol’s friendship with McNamara’s character.
Though the movie doesn’t have a release date yet, filming has since wrapped since it began in September 2025. While we wait for an update, McNamara teased that the rom-com is “equal parts absurd, and equal parts heartfelt” — and romantic love isn’t all that it has to offer.
“I will say, especially in Cheap AF, I think — or especially in Cheap AF rather — the biggest love story in it is between the two women,” the actress said. “It’s between Arden’s [character]and my character, and it’s their friendship that is the biggest romance of all. And that is kind of what made me fall in love with the script.”
Cheap AF, TBA, In Theaters
