Fina Strazza is ready to call the shots.
The young actor, who has been steadily building a resume that spans Broadway, television and film, has signed on to both star in and produce the romantic drama "Any Way You Want Me." The project marks a notable step up in responsibility for Strazza, who is adding a producer credit to her growing list of on-screen roles. News of the package broke via an exclusive report, and details about the film are still emerging, but the dual role - leading lady and behind-the-scenes decision-maker - is the headline here.
It's the kind of move that signals a performer who isn't content to wait for the phone to ring. Producing your own star vehicle is a well-worn path in Hollywood, but it's one that has become especially popular among younger actors looking to shape their own careers on their own terms. Strazza appears to be doing exactly that.
From Child Star to Creative Force
Audiences first got a proper look at Strazza when she played the fierce and complicated Princess Ashley in the short-lived but passionately beloved Netflix series "Julie and the Phantoms." The show, which premiered in 2020, became a sleeper hit with a devoted fanbase that is still campaigning for a revival years later. For a certain corner of the internet, Strazza will forever be the girl who delivered that memorable performance as the rival-turned-ally with a killer wardrobe and even better comedic timing.
Since then, she's kept busy. Strazza has appeared on Broadway in "The Bedwetter" and has racked up credits across television and film, steadily transitioning from the child-actor lane into more grown-up material. A romantic drama with her name above the title - and her fingerprints on the production side - fits neatly into that evolution.
Why Producing Matters Here
There's a version of this story that's simply, "Actor books next role." That's not this. When a performer at Strazza's career stage attaches themselves as a producer, it usually means one of two things: either they helped develop the material from the ground up, or they're using their momentum to get a passion project off the ground that might otherwise struggle to find backing.
Either way, it's a show of initiative. Romantic dramas occupy a tricky space in today's market - they're relatively inexpensive to make compared to tentpole blockbusters, but they also don't get the theatrical push they once did. Having a committed star who is also willing to put in the producing hours can be the difference between a script sitting on a shelf and a script going before cameras.
It also gives Strazza a seat at the table when it comes to creative decisions: casting, tone, the kind of intimate details that can make or break a love story on screen. For an actor who has spent years interpreting other people's visions, that's a meaningful shift.
What We Know - and What We Don't
Here's where we have to pump the brakes on speculation. Beyond Strazza's involvement as both star and producer, concrete details about "Any Way You Want Me" remain under wraps. There's no confirmed director, no supporting cast announcements, no release window and no studio attachment made public at this point. Anyone claiming otherwise is getting ahead of themselves.
That's normal for a project at this stage. Deals come together in pieces, and announcements about the rest of the creative team tend to roll out over weeks and months rather than all at once. For now, the takeaway is simple: the film is happening, and Strazza is at the center of it.
The Bigger Picture
Strazza's move reflects a broader trend worth watching. A generation of actors who grew up in the streaming era - with direct relationships to their audiences and a clear-eyed view of how fragile the business can be - are increasingly refusing to be passive participants in their own careers. They option books, they develop scripts, they attach themselves to projects early and shepherd them through the gauntlet of development.
It's smart, and it's not new - actors have been producing their own material since the studio-system days - but the speed and frequency with which younger performers are doing it now feels different. The old model of waiting for a great script to land on your desk has been replaced by a more proactive one: find the script, or commission it, or write the check yourself.
For Strazza, "Any Way You Want Me" is a chance to test that model in a genre that lives or dies on chemistry, authenticity and emotional truth. If she can deliver on both sides of the camera, it won't just be one movie - it'll be a template for everything that comes next.
MovieBuzz will keep tracking this one as casting and production details firm up. For now, consider this the opening scene.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter