Kristen Stewart, 34, and Steven Yeun, 41, star in Love Me, a post-apocalyptic romance that proves you don't have to be human to fall head over heels. Written and directed by married duo Sam and Andy Zuchero, the film follows two artificial intelligences—Stewart's character "Me" (later Deja), a buoy adrift in a desolate ocean, and Yeun's character "Iam" (later Liam), a satellite orbiting Earth. Their fateful online encounter happens long after humanity's extinction.
The Zucheros reveal that Love Me spans billions of years, asking what it really means to be alive and in love when life itself is almost forgotten. Through digital contact, Deja and Liam evolve into virtual avatars, eventually recreating themselves as human forms and exploring the remnants of Earth's past. The filmmakers say the storyline was sparked by the idea of artificial intelligences inheriting a world after humans have destroyed it, but it morphed into a personal love story. They also praise Stewart and Yeun for bringing "heart and soul" to the project, calling their collaboration an essential part of the filmmaking process.
In the new trailer, Stewart's buoy sifts through fragments of the internet, guiding Yeun's satellite through what it used to mean to socialize and connect. The pair progresses from two-dimensional animation to flesh-and-blood human likenesses, building a universe together in the process. Following a premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Love Me lands in theaters January 31.