It finally happened. After years of fans obsessively casting their "BookTok" fancasts on TikTok and Instagram, the People We Meet on Vacation movie is actually moving through the pipeline. If you’ve spent any time in a bookstore over the last four years, you know the bright orange cover. You know Poppy and Alex. You know the "vacation friends-to-lovers" trope that Emily Henry basically owns at this point.
But making a movie out of a book this beloved is risky business. Readers are protective. They want the specific height difference. They want the "Sanibel Island" vibe to feel authentic, not like a soundstage in Burbank. Honestly, the road to getting this story on screen has been a slow burn, much like the decade-long pining between the two main characters.
Netflix eventually snagged the rights, and since then, the drip-feed of information has been constant. It’s not just another rom-com. For many, it’s the litmus test for whether the current "Romantasy" and "Contemporary Romance" boom can actually translate into high-quality cinema rather than just "content."
Who are Poppy and Alex? The Casting Truth
Casting is where these projects live or die. Period. For months, the internet was convinced it had to be Paul Mescal or maybe Ayo Edebiri. The actual choices? Emily Bader and Tom Blyth.
Bader caught a lot of eyes in My Lady Jane, where she proved she can handle the "chaotic but lovable" energy required for Poppy Wright. Poppy is a travel writer. She’s messy. She wears bright colors and hides her deep-seated loneliness behind a quirkiness that could easily become annoying if the actress doesn't have the right groundedness.
Then there’s Alex Nilsen. Tom Blyth, fresh off The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is playing the straight-laced, khakis-wearing, routine-loving foil. He's got the "tall, quiet, and dependable" thing down. Fans were initially split—Blyth is English, Alex is very much from a small town in Ohio—but the chemistry reads reportedly sealed the deal.
The supporting cast is starting to fill out too. We’re seeing names like Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, and Lucien Laviscount. It’s a mix of "prestige TV" talent and "Internet's Boyfriend" energy.
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The Creative Team Behind the Lens
Director Brett Haley is at the helm. This is a big deal for people who care about tone. Haley directed Hearts Beat Loud and All the Bright Places. He knows how to do "sweet but sad" without it feeling like a Hallmark card. He’s working from a script by Yulin Kuang, who is essentially the Emily Henry Whisperer. Kuang is also set to direct the adaptation of Beach Read, so she’s deeply embedded in the "Henry-verse."
Having a screenwriter who understands the specific rhythm of Henry’s dialogue is crucial. The book relies heavily on banter. If the banter is clunky, the whole movie falls apart. It’s that simple.
Why the People We Meet on Vacation Movie is Different
Most romance movies follow a linear path. Boy meets girl, they fight, they make up. But the People We Meet on Vacation movie has to juggle two timelines. We have the "Present Day" trip to Palm Springs, which is awkward and heavy with the weight of two years of silence. Then we have the "Flashbacks" covering ten years of summer trips.
This structure is a nightmare for a director if not handled correctly. You’re jumping from Croatia to New Orleans to Tuscany.
The heart of the story isn't just "will they won't they." It’s "what happened two years ago in Croatia?" The movie has to build that mystery. It’s a romance wrapped in a secret.
Location, Location, Location
A huge part of the appeal of the People We Meet on Vacation movie is the escapism. We’re talking about:
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- The sweaty, cramped car rides of their college years.
- The luxury of a gifted trip when Poppy finally "makes it."
- The disastrous, "everything goes wrong" trips that actually bring them closer.
Production took the cast to New Orleans and other locations to capture the authentic feel of these vacations. It wasn't all green screens. You can tell when a movie is actually filmed on location—the light hits differently. The humidity looks real.
The "Emily Henry Effect" on Modern Cinema
Let's be real for a second. Romance movies were in the graveyard for a decade. Aside from the occasional Netflix hit, the mid-budget rom-com was dead. Emily Henry changed that in the publishing world, and now Hollywood is trying to catch up.
There are currently multiple Henry books in development:
- Beach Read (directed by Yulin Kuang).
- Book Lovers (in development at Tango).
- Funny Story (recently optioned).
But People We Meet on Vacation is the first one out of the gate with a full cast and production schedule. It’s the guinea pig. If this movie succeeds, expect a flood of "vacation romance" films. If it fails? It might chill the market for these kinds of adaptations.
Addressing the Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong is thinking this is just a light, fluffy story. It’s actually quite heavy on themes of grief, career burnout, and the fear of outgrowing your roots. Poppy is successful but miserable. Alex is stable but stagnant.
The movie needs to capture that "quarter-life crisis" energy. It’s not just about the kiss at the end; it’s about why they stopped talking in the first place. Some fans worry the movie will lean too hard into the comedy and lose the "ache" that makes the book a bestseller.
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Production Updates and Release Window
Filming kicked off in late 2024. While we don't have a hard release date yet, the timeline suggests a 2025 release. Summer makes the most sense. It’s a "Summer Movie" in every sense of the word.
Netflix is the distributor, which means it’ll likely get a limited theatrical run before hitting the platform. This has become the standard for their "prestige" rom-coms.
What to Expect from the Soundtrack
Music is a character in this book. Poppy has her travel playlists. There’s a specific vibe—think indie-folk meets nostalgic 2010s pop. While no official tracks are confirmed, the rumor mill suggests a soundtrack that mirrors the "years passing" theme, using different musical eras to define the different vacation flashbacks.
How to Prepare for the Premiere
If you want to be ready for the People We Meet on Vacation movie, you’ve got to do more than just re-read the book.
- Follow the "Henry-verse" updates: Emily Henry is surprisingly active on her newsletter and Instagram. She shares "behind the scenes" tidbits that don't always make it to the big news sites.
- Watch the leads' previous work: Check out Tom Blyth in Billy the Kid to see his range, and Emily Bader in My Lady Jane. It’ll give you a sense of their chemistry potential.
- Track the filming locations: Fans have been spotting the crew in various cities. It’s a fun way to piece together which "trips" from the book made the final cut.
The transition from page to screen is never perfect. There will be cuts. There will be changes. Maybe your favorite side character gets merged into someone else. But the core of the story—two people who are fundamentally different but can't seem to stay out of each other's orbits—is what matters.
Keep an eye on Netflix's social channels during the first quarter of 2025. That’s usually when the first "first look" images drop. If the costumes look right and the lighting in Palm Springs is as golden as it is in our heads, we’re in for a treat.
The best way to enjoy the upcoming release is to revisit the source material now, then let it breathe. When the trailer finally drops, look for the small details: the fan, the "People We Meet on Vacation" column, and the specific way Alex looks at Poppy when she’s not looking. Those are the markers of a faithful adaptation.
Once the movie hits, compare the "Croatia incident" in your head to how they staged it. It’s often the most debated scene among readers, and seeing how Brett Haley handles that tension will be the ultimate test of the film’s success. Stay tuned for the official trailer drop, which is expected to break the "Romance" side of the internet.