Why the Netflix film changed Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation

Emily Henry and actors Emily Bader and Tom Blyth discussed why the Netflix adaptation of Henry’s novel People We Meet on Vacation differs from the book and raised the possibility of spinoffs, in a conversation held over a video call in December; the film premiered on Friday. Henry, whose books have sold more than 10 million copies, said adaptations are confirmed for five of her six contemporary romance novels, and that People We Meet on Vacation was the first to reach the screen.

The story follows Alex, an uptight English teacher, and Poppy, a free-spirited travel writer, who take platonic vacations together each summer and later confront their feelings after a period of estrangement. The filmmakers made several practical and narrative changes: director Brett Haley said a prominent Palm Springs setting was cut and the production shot almost entirely in Spain and New Orleans to double for locations including British Columbia, Tuscany, Boston and Ohio.

Several plot beats were altered — notably the book’s Croatia hookup was removed and elements were folded into a Tuscany pregnancy-scare scene; Henry insisted the characters not actually kiss there because of reader reactions to infidelity.

Key Topics

Culture, Emily Henry, Netflix, Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Brett Haley