Book-lovers are beside themselves as Emily Henry’s bestseller, People We Meet on Vacation, gets the film treatment, delivering all the sun-drenched escapism, slow-burn chemistry and swoony nostalgia that made the novel a global phenomenon when it appeared n shelves in 2021.
Part of the excitement stems from the book’s massive following – the writer’s talent for capturing the messy, relatable complexities of modern relationships truly struck a chord. The book’s devoted fan base has long been campaigning for an adaptation.
And so, along comes a Netflix film, starring Emily Bader (My Lady Jane) as Poppy, a chaotic travel writer, and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Alex, her introverted, buttoned-up best friend and long-time travel companion. Their annual summer trips were a highlight for a decade, until one disastrous holiday shattered their friendship. Now, years later, Poppy convinces Alex to take one last getaway, hoping to fix what broke – and maybe finally face what’s been simmering between them.
“This story lives or dies on the chemistry between Poppy and Alex, and Emily and Tom’s chemistry is electric,” says director Brett Haley.
The book’s author has also praised the “perfect” casting of her characters, calling Tom “stoic, repressed and quietly hilarious”, while Emily is “an irresistible rascal with a secret softness”.
Star of the film, Emily, feels she got the gig because of her similarities to Poppy. “She’s not good at editing in her mind, and that’s something I work on too,” she told People magazine.
“I think that she just lives fully. It was an opportunity for me to strip away insecurity and just try to be the biggest, loudest, most annoying version of myself – but in a real way.”
The result is a faithful interpretation of the material, doubling down on the central relationship and witty dialogue that mirror the book’s emotional core. Europhiles will love the location change too – the book’s Palm Springs is swapped to sultry, historic Barcelona.
When does Netflix’s People We Meet On Vacation come out?
It’s been a long wait for faithfuls of the book, but Netflix’s People We Meet On Vacation adaptation will be released on January 9, 2026.
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