From Page to Paradise: First look images for People We Meet on Vacation
Source: Michele K. Short/Daniel Escale/Netflix
Emily Henry’s beloved 2021 novel, People We Meet on Vacation, is making its long-anticipated leap to the screen and the result promises to be a sun-soaked, emotionally resonant treat.
The Netflix film adaptation is scheduled to premiere on January 9, 2026. And you best believe I did a little happy dance around my office when I heard this! Then when Netflix released these first-look images I needed a sit down…
Source: Michele K. Short/Daniel Escale/Netflix
Helming the project is director Brett Haley (known for Hearts Beat Loud and All the Bright Places). And at the heart of the adaptation are Emily Bader as the free-spirited, impulsive Poppy and Tom Blyth as the thoughtful, reserved Alex. Their dynamic represents the classic opposites-attract, slow-burn trajectory—friends bound by tradition who increasingly question whether their connection runs deeper.
Source: Michele K. Short/Daniel Escale/Netflix
Netflix has teased audiences with several first-look images as of early September 2025, capturing the charming chemistry between Bader and Blyth amid picturesque, globe-trotting backdrops—from the vibrant streets of New Orleans to the romantic allure of a Barcelona wedding locale
The screenplay incorporates select highlights from the novel, including various vacation settings; though the film’s producers consciously adapted only key locales to maintain a realistic runtime while preserving the story’s emotional backbone.
The plot faithfully tracks Poppy and Alex’s decade-long tradition of annual trips, the fallout from one fateful vacation, and Poppy’s bold effort to bridge a two-year silence with one final getaway—wrestling with whether their enduring connection is rooted in love or friendship (swooooooon!!)
And, for all the die-hard book fans out there (me, thank you) Emily Henry has been involved in the adaptation, which bodes incredibly well for it to seamlessly transition from page to screen.
For lovers of heartfelt romantic comedies, the film appears set to deliver and I for one cannot wait.
Source: Michele K. Short/Daniel Escale/Netflix