Temperatures may be getting colder, but for the Emily Henry girls, summer isn’t over. It’s almost time to laugh, cry, swoon, and vacation around the world, thanks to the upcoming Netflix film People We Meet On Vacation. This romantic comedy movie based on Henry’s bestselling novel follows two estranged best friends, Poppy and Alex, who reunite for a summer trip to Palm Springs. But this trip isn’t like any other they’ve taken: It’s their last chance to patch up their broken friendship. But as tensions rise and sparks fly, learning to be just friends proves to be more complicated than they thought.
People We Meet On Vacation explores the blurred lines of friendship and falling in love, set against the backdrop of some beautiful vacation spots. Henry’s novel follows Poppy and Alex over the 12 years and several vacations of their friendship, including their trip to Croatia that went horribly wrong and left them estranged for two years. While they couldn’t be more different — Poppy is a spontaneous, adventurous travel journalist and Alex is a teacher who likes stability — one final vacation might be enough to bring them back together.
From page to screen, Poppy and Alex’s wild and touching love story is coming to life soon. Here’s everything to know about the Netflix adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation.
People We Meet On Vacation Release Date
People We Meet On Vacation is coming to Netflix on Jan. 9, 2026. It’s been a long time coming: Henry published the novel in 2021 and announced a film adaptation in 2022.
People We Meet On Vacation Cast
Emily Bader will star as the effervescent Poppy Wright, and Tom Blyth will star as the charming and bashful Alex Nilsen. You may know Bader as Lady Jane Grey from My Lady Jane, and Blyth as Coriolanus Snow from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Bader expressed her love for Poppy’s character in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “She’s loud, she’s a little chaotic, but in the best ways,” Bader shared. “She’s simultaneously exhausting and addicting as a person — and I love that. I love a character that sometimes feels a little bit too much, but that’s just who she is.”
Blyth, known for his roles in drama films, shared that he’s ecstatic to finally star in a romcom. “I’ve been wanting to do a romcom for years, and this was finally that chance,” he said. “I think [Henry is] really writing for now. She’s writing for people who need escapism and love and joy in a world where that’s not always at your fingertips.”
People We Meet On Vacation Trailer
Netflix shared a trailer for People We Meet On Vacation on Dec. 2, and it looks good. Fans get a glimpse of Poppy and Alex’s trips over the years, as well as their ill-fated trip that set their friendship apart.
What can book fans expect from the movie?
While there’s no telling yet how similar or different the People We Meet On Vacation movie will be from the novel, Henry has expressed her confidence that readers will love the Netflix adaptation. “I know how much the readers are really attached to this story, and I’ve just always wanted to make sure that whatever the end product was, it was something that they would be thrilled with, and it was so clear to me [after that first watch] that they would be,” she shared with Harper’s Bazaar.
In her email newsletter back on Sept. 10, Henry shared some exciting news: a movie tie-in version of the book hit bookstore shelves on Nov. 18, 2025. “You can hear a little bit more about the journey of seeing Alex and Poppy come to life on screen in the essay I wrote for the [movie tie-in edition of the book],” she wrote. “As things ramp up and we get closer to [movie release day], I’ll have a lot more to tell (and show) you.”