Hayley Kiyoko is stepping into the director’s chair for her feature film debut, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled. The 33-year-old multi-talented entertainer is bringing her beloved song “Girls Like Girls” to life as a movie, marking a major milestone in her creative journey.
The film, which has been picked up by Focus Features, will explore themes of first love and self-acceptance—echoing the heartfelt message of the original track. Co-writing the screenplay with Hayley is none other than Stefanie Scott, her longtime friend and collaborator, who starred in the iconic “Girls Like Girls” music video nearly a decade ago alongside Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille. Interestingly, all three have roots in Disney Channel projects from the early 2010s, making this reunion even more special.
Hayley expressed her excitement on Instagram, saying, “I have dreamt of this moment for 9 years. Over the past almost decade, my priorities have shifted and evolved. I have never fought so hard for anything in my life. The tears, the setbacks, the sacrifices, the closed doors, the immense struggle to get a film made is another story in itself. Since I released Girls Like Girls in 2015, I’ve made a vow to myself and to you all to do everything in my power to create hopeful queer content at the largest scale possible. The road map has never been clear, I’ve just kept believing that if I kept trying, that one day a road could be paved. We made it. It’s here.”
Stefanie Scott also shared her excitement: “Beyond stoked to finally share I wrote the feature film Girls Like Girls based on the music video I acted in years ago…😊 This has been such a long and rewarding journey. Back in 2017, I started jotting down ideas and dreaming up scenarios for Coley and Sonya, and creating a world around them from scratch just in my iPhone notes app. In 2018, I finally took the leap and shared them…and got hired to actually write the screenplay. It’s been an incredible honor to be trusted with this story.”
The Girls Like Girls journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Released in 2015, the music video became a cultural touchstone for queer representation, and in 2023, Hayley expanded the narrative into a novel that shot to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Now, with a film on the horizon, this story of love and self-discovery is set to reach an even wider audience.
With Hayley at the helm, Stefanie’s thoughtful writing, and the support of producers like Marc Platt and BuzzFeed Studios’ Richard Alan Reid, this film promises to be a heartfelt celebration of identity, love, and resilience. As Hayley puts it, “We keep climbing!!!! AH!”
