People We Meet On Vacation: Everything we know so far about the Netflix adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling novel

The film adaptation of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation was announced a couple of years ago and now it has a release date. The film is set for a release on January 9, 2026, and will be available on Netflix globally, Deadline reports.

The novel on which the film is based was received well by the critics and readers alike, and spent over a year on The New York Times bestseller list. The novel also won the Goodreads Choice Award for Romance and was a runner-up at the Swoon Awards. A review on Kirkus called it "warm and winning, like When Harry Met Sally." Additionally, this is Henry's highest-selling book, with over 2 million copies sold in the United States.

Brett Haley, who is known for The Hero (2017) and Hearts Beat Loud (2018), is directing the film, while Yulin Kuang has written the screenplay. Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and Isaac Klausner will produce the film for Temple Hill Entertainment.

What is the film about?

People We Meet on Vacation is a romantic film with elements of mystery. The story follows two best friends, Poppy Wright and Alex Nelson, who have a tradition of going on vacation every year. However, something happened during their last trip that led to a crack in their bond, and now Poppy wants to reconcile things.

There's also a teaser of the film but it is simply a small conversation and doesn't introduce any character. Poppy asks Alex where he stands on travel, love or hate? To this, he replies,

"I mean, I've never really travelled anywhere, but this morning I saw this beautiful sunrise over this place that I'd been before, and I wouldn't have if everything had gone according to plan. So, love."

Poppy and Alex are polar opposites of each other in People We Meet on Vacation. Poppy is an extrovert who loves traveling. That's why she becomes a travel writer, too. On the other hand, Alex is an introvert and prefers staying at home.

There are other characters that pop in from time to time in the story, including another of Poppy's best friends named Rachel Krohn, Alex's girlfriend Sarah Torval, and Poppy's boss Swapna Bakshi-Highsmith, among others.

People We Meet on Vacation cast

Emily Bader leads the cast of People We Meet on Vacation as Poppy Wright. The actress is best known for her portrayal of Lady Jane Grey in My Lady Jane and has appeared in films including Fresh Kills (2023) and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021). The latter film had her in the lead too.

Tom Blyth plays Alex Nilsen in People We Meet on Vacation. He played the young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023). He will also appear in the film adaptation of Watch Dogs alongside Sophie Wilde and Markella Kavenagh.

Alice Lee will play Rachel, who is likely the reason Poppy decides to reconcile her friendship with Alex. Lee has appeared in films like The Union (2024), Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019), and more.