Netflix has revealed the release date for the upcoming adaptation of Emily Henry’s best-selling novel, People We Meet on Vacation. The streamer released a teaser of the film, which stars Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Emily Bader (My Lady Jane), but people are dismayed that the film won’t land on Netflix until January 2026.
In August 2024, Netflix announced Bader and Blyth as the two leads, with Brett Haley set to direct. This 18-month wait has left fans devastated, with many questioning why such a summery story is being released on Jan. 9, 2026, especially when it feels like a perfect summer movie.
We're not quite sure why Netflix didn't try to push its adaptation out this summer or how it landed on a January release, but at least we know the movie is coming in early 2026 instead of being held for next summer.
The book follows longtime best friends Alex and Poppy, who spend one week a year on vacation together. After they fall out on vacation and stop speaking, Poppy reaches out to Alex to have one last trip together. The 2021 book focuses on the unspoken truths of their relationship and is noted as being one of the best slow-burn romances of recent years.
The teaser trailer features voiceovers from actors Bader and Blyth.
“Where does Alex Nilsen stand on travel? Love or hate?” Bader’s Poppy says in a voiceover over a beach scene.
“I mean, I’ve never really traveled anywhere. But this morning I saw this beautiful sunrise over this place that I’d never been before and I wouldn’t have if everything had gone according to plan. So love. I’m thinking love,” Blyth’s Alex can be heard responding.
Netflix has also released a synopsis of the adaptation, and it looks like the film will follow the book closely. "The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else: could they actually be the perfect romantic match?"
Alongside Bader and Blyth, the cast of People We Meet on Vacation also stars Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Lukas Gage, alongside Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck. The film is in safe hands as director Brett Haley knows the young adult fiction and romance genres well. He directed an episode of John Green’s Looking for Alaska and the Elle Fanning-led All The Bright Places.
The cast comes with author Emily Henry’s approval, with the source material’s writer telling Netflix that she had a role in Bader and Blyth’s casting.
“I watched their chemistry read four times in 12 hours, and I loved it more every single time,” Henry told the streamer. “The very first time I was laughing out loud, and I got so emotional by the end.” People We Meet on Vacation debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times’ bestseller list when released in 2021 and has sold more than 2 million copies in the US, making it Henry’s highest-selling novel.
Luckily, if you’re an Emily Henry fan, there are lots of adaptations coming your way. Also announced are film adaptations of Funny Story, Beach Read, and Book Lovers, as well as a Netflix series based on Happy Place.
Hopefully, the long wait is worth it. People We Meet on Vacation will premiere on Netflix on Jan. 9, 2026.
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