Five Emily Henry Novels Are Headed to the Screen; 'People We Meet on Vacation' Debuted on Netflix

People reports that five Emily Henry novels have been picked up for screen adaptations, and the first, People We Meet on Vacation, began streaming on Netflix on Jan. 9.

Brett Haley directed the Netflix film from Yulin Kuang’s screenplay. Deadline reported that 3000 Pictures announced the adaptation in 2022, and casting reports in August 2024 named Tom Blyth as Alex and Emily Bader as Poppy. Henry said she was “an anxious wreck” during the casting process. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Tommy Do, Alice Lee, Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon.

Four other novels are in development: Book Lovers (Tango picked up the adaptation in March 2023; Sarah Heyward will write; cast and directors have yet to be announced), Beach Read (20th Century Studios will adapt, with Kuang writing and directing), Happy Place (Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions was reported in June 2024 to be adapting it for Netflix as a series; J.Lo confirmed on Instagram, and Variety reported in January 2026 that it will shift to a film still set to premiere on Netflix), and Funny Story (Henry is writing a screenplay for Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company; Variety revealed in January 2026 the movie will stream on Netflix when it premieres, while cast and directors remain unannounced).

Key Topics

Culture, Emily Henry, Book Lovers, Beach Read, Happy Place, Funny Story