So, the wait is officially over. If you've been checking your calendar and refreshing your feed for months, you can finally stop. The People We Meet on Vacation movie release date hit on January 9, 2026, landing right on Netflix as the first big cozy watch of the new year.
Honestly, it feels like we’ve been hearing about this adaptation since the dawn of time. Or at least since 2021, when Emily Henry’s book first started making everyone cry-laugh on their summer breaks. It’s been a long road from "optioned for film" to "actually on my TV screen," but the jet lag was worth it.
When did it actually drop?
The movie premiered globally on Friday, January 9, 2026.
Netflix usually drops their big originals at midnight Pacific Time, and this was no different. If you were one of those people who stayed up until 3:00 AM on the East Coast just to see Poppy and Alex finally get in a car together, you aren't alone.
It’s weirdly perfect timing.
January is basically the month of "I wish I was somewhere else," and watching two best friends trek through Canada, New Orleans, and Tuscany is the exact brand of escapism we needed. The film runs for about 1 hour and 58 minutes, which is a bit longer than your average 90-minute rom-com, but it covers a decade of history. You can't rush ten years of pining.
Why the cast is everything (and why some people were worried)
Casting Alex and Poppy was always going to be a minefield. Everyone has a version of these characters in their head. When Emily Bader and Tom Blyth were announced, the internet had thoughts.
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Bader, who folks might recognize from My Lady Jane, brings this frantic, colorful energy to Poppy Wright. She feels like a real person who’s trying too hard to be happy, which is exactly the point. Then you’ve got Tom Blyth. Most people know him as the young, terrifying Coriolanus Snow from the Hunger Games prequel. Seeing him go from "aspiring dictator" to "buttoned-up Ohio schoolteacher" is a trip.
But he pulls it off. He’s got that Alex Nilsen stillness. The "I’m secretly in love with you but I’m going to reorganize my bookshelf instead of saying it" vibe.
The supporting cast is also stacked:
- Sarah Catherine Hook as Sarah
- Jameela Jamil as Swapna (Poppy’s boss)
- Lucien Laviscount as Trey
- Lukas Gage as Buck (the guy from the Canada trip)
- Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck as Poppy’s parents
That "Missing" Scene: What’s the deal?
If you’ve finished the movie, you might be wondering about the "spice level."
In the book, there’s a very specific, very intense scene in a bathroom in Croatia (though the movie shifts some locations around). It’s the moment the friendship finally breaks and becomes something else.
Here is the tea: they actually filmed a much steamier version of that scene. Emily Henry herself mentioned in interviews around the premiere that she saw the original cut and called it "Titanic level" in terms of chemistry.
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So, why did it get toned down? Basically, test audiences got whiplash.
Director Brett Haley explained that for people who hadn't read the book, the sudden jump into a "hard-R" romance felt like it belonged in a different movie. They wanted to keep the vibe earnest and sweet. While some book purists are annoyed, the emotional weight of the scene is still there. Plus, there’s always hope for a "Director’s Cut" or some deleted scenes hitting the internet later.
Filming locations: Was it actually Tuscany?
One of the best things about the People We Meet on Vacation movie release date finally arriving is seeing the travel.
The production designer, Bruce Curtis, revealed some interesting secrets about where they actually shot this thing. While the movie looks like it spans the globe, a lot of it was clever "movie magic" based in New Orleans and Spain.
They used New Orleans to double for several locations, including the Ohio suburbs. The big Tuscany sequence? That was actually filmed at a 12th-century farmhouse called Can Llambí in Catalonia, Spain. They even used a tree plantation near Barcelona to stand in for the Canadian wilderness of Squamish.
It looks seamless. If you didn't know, you'd swear they actually spent a year on a plane.
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Is there more Emily Henry coming?
If this movie left you wanting more, you're in luck. This is just the start of the "Henriyverse."
People We Meet on Vacation was the first to cross the finish line, but there are several other projects in the works. Beach Read is being handled by Yulin Kuang (who also worked on the screenplay for People We Meet on Vacation), and Book Lovers is in development too. Netflix also snagged the rights to Happy Place and Funny Story.
Basically, your Netflix subscription is going to be very busy for the next few years.
How to get the most out of your watch
If you haven't pressed play yet, or if you're planning a rewatch, here is the move. Don't just treat this like background noise. The movie uses a lot of "Then" and "Now" title cards to jump through the years. If you're scrolling on your phone, you're going to get lost in the timeline.
Pay attention to the color palettes. The "past" vacations usually have this warm, golden glow, while the "present" in New York feels a bit more sterile and blue. It’s a subtle way to show how Poppy is feeling.
Your next steps for the full experience:
- Check out the official soundtrack on Spotify; it’s got that perfect "road trip" vibe that defines the book.
- Compare the ending. Without spoiling it, the movie changes the "resolution" of where Alex and Poppy end up living, which has sparked some heated debates on Reddit.
- Watch for the cameo—Emily Henry is known to pop up in her adaptations, so keep your eyes peeled during the travel magazine scenes.
The movie is streaming right now. It’s 118 minutes of pining, bad Hawaiian shirts, and the realization that sometimes the person you’re meant to be with is the one who’s been annoyed by you for a decade.