Hayley Kiyoko’s upcoming film Girls Like Girls is arriving sooner than expected.
The 34-year-old singer, actress, and author is set to make her feature directorial debut with the project, which has officially been announced for a summer 2026 theatrical release. He’s All That star Myra Molloy and Under the Bridge actress Maya Da Costa have been cast in leading roles.
Based on Kiyoko’s novel of the same name, Girls Like Girls is described as a coming-of-age story that unfolds over one sun-soaked summer. The film follows Coley, a new girl in town who experiences first love while learning to embrace her true self. Kiyoko co-wrote the screenplay with Stefanie Scott, who appeared in the original “Girls Like Girls” music video a decade ago. The film will also feature new music from Kiyoko.
Production is being led by Marc Platt of Wicked and Richard Alan Reid of BuzzFeed Studios, among others. Focus Features will release Girls Like Girls in theaters on June 19, 2026.
In February 2015, lesbian pop singer Hayley Kiyoko released her song “Girls Like Girls,” an anthem of queer love and self-acceptance. On June 24 of that same year, she released the “Girls Like Girls” music video, which she also directed.
The music video now has over 159 million views on YouTube, has helped a generation of girls come out, and earned Kiyoko the nickname “Lesbian Jesus.”
“Based on Kiyoko’s breakthrough hit song and viral music video of the same name, the film tells the universal story of falling in love for the first time and learning to accept yourself along the way,” the logline reads.
When was the ‘Girls Like Girls’ movie announced?
In 2024, Focus Features announced it had acquired the rights to the film version of Girls Like Girls, based on Kiyoko’s viral song and music video. Kiyoko has directed several of her music videos, including “Girls Like Girls,” but the film will be her feature directorial debut.
“It’s been such a challenging journey to bring this film to life, and it feels like a huge win to finally share it with all of you!” Kiyoko told Out at the time. “My fans have been asking for this for so long, and honestly, this is the kind of story I desperately needed when I was growing up. I feel so honored to share my journey and bring ‘Girls Like Girls’ to the big screen.”
“As a community, we know how rare it is to see representation that truly reflects our experiences — and even rarer for it to be fully supported in film and TV,” she continued. “I can’t wait for the world to see this story. I hope it inspires people to believe in queer joy and chase their dreams, no matter how long it takes. Nine years later… we did it!”
Kiyoko revealed on Instagram that the film will star Maya da Costa as Coley and Myra Molloy as Sonya. Da Costa is known for starring in the miniseries Under the Bridge opposite Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, and Vritika Gupta.
Molloy appeared in eight episodes of the show Halfworlds and made an appearance in The Bold Type. She also acted in the film He’s All That.
