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People We Meet on Vacation poster
3000 Pictures

People We Meet on Vacation

· Emily Henry Adaptations

2026 118 min PG-13
Romance Comedy Drama
Netflix
Where to Watch

Overview

Free-spirited travel writer Poppy Wright and routine-loving teacher Alex Nilsen have been best friends for years, despite living in different cities. After spending one summer vacation together every year, a period of estrangement forces them to confront whether their friendship has always concealed something deeper.

Editorial Review

Overview

People We Meet on Vacation is a romantic comedy directed by Brett Haley and adapted from Emily Henry's 2021 novel. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth star as Poppy and Alex, longtime friends whose annual vacations gradually transform their relationship.

Pros

  • Strong chemistry between Emily Bader and Tom Blyth
  • Popular friends-to-lovers romance structure
  • Multiple colorful international locations
  • Accessible adaptation of Emily Henry's novel
  • Strong supporting comedy cast
  • Balances romantic longing with friendship and personal growth

Cons

  • The nonlinear timeline requires frequent transitions
  • Some supporting relationships receive limited development
  • Several events and locations from the novel were changed
  • The central conflict depends heavily on delayed communication
  • Readers may miss material removed from the book

AI Review

Two opposite but inseparable friends revisit years of shared summer vacations and finally confront the possibility that they have always been in love.

Recommended for viewers who enjoy friends-to-lovers stories, travel-centered romantic comedies and adaptations of contemporary romance novels.

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Premiere
Status
Source publication

Emily Henry's novel People We Meet on Vacation was published in 2021 and became a major commercial success.

Rights acquisition

3000 Pictures acquired adaptation rights and began developing the novel as a feature film with Temple Hill Entertainment.

Screenplay development

Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo received screenplay credit for adapting the novel.

Lead casting

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth were announced as Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen in August 2024.

Supporting cast

Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck joined the ensemble.

Principal photography

Production began in 2024, with filming taking place in New Orleans, Barcelona and other locations used to represent the characters' annual vacations.

Adaptation changes

The filmmakers moved the destination wedding from Palm Springs to Barcelona and condensed portions of Poppy and Alex's early friendship.

Netflix release

Netflix released People We Meet on Vacation globally on January 9, 2026.

Production

Source publication

Emily Henry's novel People We Meet on Vacation was published in 2021 and became a major commercial success.

Rights acquisition

3000 Pictures acquired adaptation rights and began developing the novel as a feature film with Temple Hill Entertainment.

Screenplay development

Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo received screenplay credit for adapting the novel.

Lead casting

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth were announced as Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen in August 2024.

Supporting cast

Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck joined the ensemble.

Principal photography

Production began in 2024, with filming taking place in New Orleans, Barcelona and other locations used to represent the characters' annual vacations.

Adaptation changes

The filmmakers moved the destination wedding from Palm Springs to Barcelona and condensed portions of Poppy and Alex's early friendship.

Netflix release

Netflix released People We Meet on Vacation globally on January 9, 2026.

Streaming

Netflix

Cast

Emily Bader Poppy Wright
Tom Blyth Alex Nilsen
Sarah Catherine Hook Sarah
Lucien Laviscount Trey
Miles Heizer David
Jameela Jamil Swapna
Tommy Do Nam
Lukas Gage Buck
Alice Lee Rachel
Molly Shannon Wanda
Alan Ruck Jimmy
Emily Henry Cameo

Characters

Poppy Wright Emily Bader
Alex Nilsen Tom Blyth
Sarah Sarah Catherine Hook
Trey Lucien Laviscount
David Miles Heizer
Swapna Jameela Jamil
Nam Tommy Do
Buck Lukas Gage
Rachel Alice Lee
Wanda Molly Shannon
Jimmy Alan Ruck
Cameo Emily Henry

Crew

Brett Haley Director
Yulin Kuang Screenwriter
Amos Vernon Screenwriter
Nunzio Randazzo Screenwriter
Emily Henry Author of Source Material and Executive Producer
Marty Bowen Producer
Wyck Godfrey Producer
Isaac Klausner Producer
Keegan DeWitt Composer
Rob C. Givens Cinematographer
Evan Henke Editor

Soundtrack

  1. People We Meet on Vacation Original Score — Keegan DeWitt
  2. august — Taylor Swift
  3. Forever Your Girl — Paula Abdul

Trivia

  • The film is the first released screen adaptation of one of Emily Henry's adult romance novels.
  • Emily Henry makes a brief cameo appearance in the film.
  • Emily Bader was selected after hundreds of performers were considered for the role of Poppy.
  • The film condenses Poppy and Alex's first two meetings from the novel into a single road-trip sequence.
  • The destination wedding takes place in Barcelona rather than Palm Springs, the location used in the novel.
  • The film includes vacation sequences set in New Orleans, Squamish, Tuscany and Barcelona.
  • The story spans approximately 12 years of Poppy and Alex's friendship.
  • The closing sequence visually recreates the illustrated cover of Emily Henry's novel.
  • Taylor Swift's song august was selected to accompany a significant emotional moment.
  • The movie changes several vacation locations and relationship events while preserving the novel's friends-to-lovers structure.

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AI Recommendation Insight

Two opposite but inseparable friends revisit years of shared summer vacations and finally confront the possibility that they have always been in love. Similar picks: Highly Rated Romance, Highly Rated Comedy

People We Meet on Vacation