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Hayley Kiyoko Makes Directorial Debut with Queer Coming-of-Age Film "Girls Like Girls"
When a pop‑star‑turned‑author‑turned‑director finally steps behind the camera, the world waits.
Hayley Kiyoko will release her first feature film, Girls Like Girls, on June 19 2026 through Focus Features. The movie is a queer coming‑of‑age romance that adapts Kiyoko’s 2023 novel of the same name, which itself expands on the story she first told in her 2015 single.
Kiyoko says the film is the culmination of a decade‑long effort to bring the story to the screen. She has described the project as a necessary representation of queer joy, contrasting the trauma‑focused narratives that have historically dominated LGBTQ+ media. The film follows Coley, played by Maya da Costa, who moves to Oregon to live with her estranged father, portrayed by Zach Braff, after her mother’s death. While adjusting to her new life, Coley meets Sonya, played by Myra Molloy, and the two develop a romantic connection.
The release marks Kiyoko’s first time directing a feature. She has previously worked as a singer‑songwriter, actress, and author. Her 2015 single “Girls Like Girls” appeared on the EP This Side of Paradise and was later included in Billboard’s list of the “30 Lesbian Love Songs.” In 2023 she published a young‑adult novel that debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list for YA Hardcover and won the Goldie Award for Young Adult Fiction.
To accompany the film, Kiyoko has issued a soundtrack album that draws directly from the movie’s storyline. According to her, the process of writing the album differed from creating a traditional record because the music was meant to support the narrative rather than dominate it. She began by removing much of the original score from the film, allowing the characters to carry the emotional weight themselves, and then composed a separate album in which the music becomes the main character.
Focus Features, an independent distributor owned by Comcast and part of NBCUniversal, is releasing the film in U.S. theaters. The company has a history of distributing independent and foreign films and has been recognized for its successes in recent years. The film’s release follows the studio’s 2026 lineup, which includes titles across romance, drama, and thriller genres.
Kiyoko’s personal life has also been in the public eye. She announced her engagement to longtime girlfriend Becca Tilley last summer. She has spoken publicly about how seeing a film like Girls Like Girls in her youth would have been transformative, noting that representation of queer joy is still scarce, especially for sapphic women.
The film’s release is significant for several reasons. It provides a rare example of a queer woman directing a feature that centers on a same‑sex romance without a focus on trauma. It also demonstrates a cross‑medium career path, moving from music to literature to film, and shows how a single narrative can be expanded across multiple platforms. The companion soundtrack offers fans an additional entry point into the story, while the novel provides a deeper exploration of the characters’ internal worlds.
As of now, the film’s box‑office performance and streaming availability are not yet known. The soundtrack has not yet been released, but Kiyoko has indicated that it will be available shortly after the film’s theatrical debut. The novel remains in print and is available through major retailers.
In summary, Hayley Kiyoko is set to debut as a feature film director with Girls Like Girls, a queer coming‑of‑age romance released by Focus Features on June 19 2026. The project follows a decade‑long journey from a 2015 single to a 2023 novel and now to a feature film and companion soundtrack, all of which aim to broaden representation of queer joy in mainstream media.
Hayley Kiyoko will release her first feature film, Girls Like Girls, on June 19 2026 through Focus Features. The movie is a queer coming‑of‑age romance that adapts Kiyoko’s 2023 novel of the same name, which itself expands on the story she first told in her 2015 single.
Kiyoko says the film is the culmination of a decade‑long effort to bring the story to the screen. She has described the project as a necessary representation of queer joy, contrasting the trauma‑focused narratives that have historically dominated LGBTQ+ media. The film follows Coley, played by Maya da Costa, who moves to Oregon to live with her estranged father, portrayed by Zach Braff, after her mother’s death. While adjusting to her new life, Coley meets Sonya, played by Myra Molloy, and the two develop a romantic connection.
The release marks Kiyoko’s first time directing a feature. She has previously worked as a singer‑songwriter, actress, and author. Her 2015 single “Girls Like Girls” appeared on the EP This Side of Paradise and was later included in Billboard’s list of the “30 Lesbian Love Songs.” In 2023 she published a young‑adult novel that debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list for YA Hardcover and won the Goldie Award for Young Adult Fiction.
To accompany the film, Kiyoko has issued a soundtrack album that draws directly from the movie’s storyline. According to her, the process of writing the album differed from creating a traditional record because the music was meant to support the narrative rather than dominate it. She began by removing much of the original score from the film, allowing the characters to carry the emotional weight themselves, and then composed a separate album in which the music becomes the main character.
Focus Features, an independent distributor owned by Comcast and part of NBCUniversal, is releasing the film in U.S. theaters. The company has a history of distributing independent and foreign films and has been recognized for its successes in recent years. The film’s release follows the studio’s 2026 lineup, which includes titles across romance, drama, and thriller genres.
Kiyoko’s personal life has also been in the public eye. She announced her engagement to longtime girlfriend Becca Tilley last summer. She has spoken publicly about how seeing a film like Girls Like Girls in her youth would have been transformative, noting that representation of queer joy is still scarce, especially for sapphic women.
The film’s release is significant for several reasons. It provides a rare example of a queer woman directing a feature that centers on a same‑sex romance without a focus on trauma. It also demonstrates a cross‑medium career path, moving from music to literature to film, and shows how a single narrative can be expanded across multiple platforms. The companion soundtrack offers fans an additional entry point into the story, while the novel provides a deeper exploration of the characters’ internal worlds.
As of now, the film’s box‑office performance and streaming availability are not yet known. The soundtrack has not yet been released, but Kiyoko has indicated that it will be available shortly after the film’s theatrical debut. The novel remains in print and is available through major retailers.
In summary, Hayley Kiyoko is set to debut as a feature film director with Girls Like Girls, a queer coming‑of‑age romance released by Focus Features on June 19 2026. The project follows a decade‑long journey from a 2015 single to a 2023 novel and now to a feature film and companion soundtrack, all of which aim to broaden representation of queer joy in mainstream media.
