Monica Barbaro & Diego Boneta on Discovering Their Chemistry for ‘At Midnight’ (VIDEO)

Meaghan Darwish February 9, 2023, 2:30 pm

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Love is in the air at Paramount+ this Valentine’s Day season as the streamer prepares to debut its new rom-com At Midnight starring Top Gun: Maverick‘s Monica Barbaro and Diego Boneta.

Ahead of the movie’s Friday, February 10 debut, Barbaro and Boneta sat down with TV Insider’s Damian Holbrook at the Winter 2023 Television Critics Association Press Tour to discuss the film. At Midnight tells the story of an actress who following a breakup with her costar begins shooting a new movie in Mexico. There, she meets an ambitious hotel manager with whom she connects and they begin meeting up at midnight.

Diego Boneta and Monica Barbaro in 'At Midnight'

Of course, when it comes to building a rom-com, chemistry is key. The only challenge? Chemistry reads were a little tough to collaborate on when casting the film amid the COVID pandemic. “No, we’d never met,” Barbaro says of her costar prior to the film. “We had a chemistry read on Zoom, actually,” she elaborates, before prompting costar Boneta to explain further.

“Well, I was so frustrated when this happened because I got COVID and I was stranded in Spain, and it was right when all the chemistry reads were going on,” Boneta laments. Down to the wire on closing casting, Boneta says “there was no way out,” adding that “I had to do the… chemistry reads via Zoom.”

First Look at Monica Barbaro & Diego Boneta's Steamy Dance in 'At Midnight'

Luckily for Barbaro and Boneta, the process was fairly easy despite the fear of having to find chemistry virtually. “Monica was actually the first actress on,” Boneta shares. “It was kind of crazy,” he goes on, “because right after that chem read, [director] Jonah [Feingold] and I were like.. ‘dude, this is it.'”

“We both had COVID,” Barbaro adds. “It was a fever dream, I lucked out.” With chemistry that strong, we’re willing to bet that viewers have lucked out when At Midnight arrives on Paramount+. Don’t miss the movie when it premieres, and catch the full conversation with Barbaro and Boneta, above.

At Midnight, Movie Premiere, Friday, February 10, Paramount+