When Is the “People We Meet on Vacation” Movie Release Date? All About the Netflix Adaptation Starring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader

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Emily Henry's 2021 novel People We Meet on Vacation is being adapted into a Netflix movie

The film stars Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blyth as Alex

On July 1, Netflix announced its release date

People We Meet on Vacation finally has a release date.

Based on the 2021 Emily Henry novel of the same name, the movie follows the story of best friends Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) who come together every year for a vacation.

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A major update on the adaptation came in July 2025, when Netflix revealed that the movie will begin streaming on Jan. 9, 2026.

People We Meet on Vacation is the first of Henry's five books to go into production. In August 2024, Netflix announced Bader and Blyth as the two leads, with Brett Haley set to direct.

From what the movie will be about to who is working on the project, here’s everything to know about the People We Meet on Vacation movie adaptation.

What is People We Meet on Vacation about?

ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty

Emily Henry attends the TIME 100 Next Gala in New York City on October 24, 2023.

People We Meet on Vacation tells the story of Alex and Poppy, two best friends who can never seem to get their timing right. Poppy is an outgoing writer with a passion for travel, often running away on vacation in a desperate desire to get away from any mundane stability in her life. Alex is the opposite — a quiet high school teacher perfectly happy to sit at home with a book.

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The two became friends after sharing a car ride home from college their freshman year, and have stuck together since. Now, Poppy lives in New York City and Alex is still in their small hometown in Ohio, so they only have one chance to see each other: their annual week-long trip.

However, after an incident on their last trip, the unlikely pair haven’t spoken in years. Poppy misses Alex and asks him on one last trip together and, much to her surprise, he agrees. What ensues is a vacation full of ups and downs that begs the question: Will they make it?

Netflix released the official logline for the movie in July 2025, and it sounds like the on-screen version of the story will be pretty true to the plot of the book.

"Free-spirited Poppy and routine-loving Alex have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together," reads the synopsis. "The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else: could they actually be the perfect romantic match?"

Who is in the cast of People We Meet on Vacation?

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Emily Bader attends the Premiere of "My Lady Jane" on June 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Blyth and Bader were announced as Alex and Poppy, respectively, in August 2024. Blyth is known for playing the lead role of a young Coriolanus Snow in the Hunger Games prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Meanwhile, Bader is known for playing the title character in Prime Video’s 2024 series My Lady Jane.

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Henry was thrilled with the casting decision, telling Netflix that she played a part in choosing Bader and Blyth for the roles.

“I watched their chemistry read four times in 12 hours and I loved it more every single time,” Henry said. “The very first time I was laughing out loud, and I got so emotional by the end.”

In August 2024, Netflix posted a clip of Bader finding out she would be playing Poppy on X — and her reaction was priceless. After getting over her disbelief at earning the role, Bader and Blyth were surprised by an appearance from Henry herself, who told them she had faith in their ability to bring Poppy and Alex’s story to life.

"I have been like kind of an anxious wreck about who would play these characters, and I just truly could not feel any more confident that my readers and then so many more people who don't even know about the book are going to completely, completely fall in love with Poppy and Alex, with you guys playing them,” Henry said.

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“It’s like a dream come true. We’ll do you proud,” Bader told Henry, before adding, “I’m actually so excited now, the adrenaline — my bones are tingling, I’m so excited.”

Is there a trailer for People We Meet on Vacation?

The first teaser for People We Meet on Vacation was released in July 2025, though it didn't share a peek at the cast.

The video shows ocean waves crashing as Poppy and Alex can be heard talking in the background.

"Where does Alex Nielsen stand on travel? Love or hate?" Poppy can be heard asking.

Alex responds, "I mean, I’ve never really traveled before, but this morning I saw this beautiful sunrise or this place that I’ve never been before, and I wouldn’t have if everything had gone according to plan. So, love. I’m thinking love.”

Who is directing People We Meet on Vacation?

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Brett Haley attends the "Hearts Beat Loud" Premiere at the 2018 SXSW Conference and Festivals on March 14, 2018 in Austin, Texas.

Haley was tapped to direct The New York Times bestseller in October 2022, with Yulin Kuang adapting the screenplay and Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey and Isaac Klausner producing.

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Haley has previously worked in young adult fiction and romance genres, directing an episode of John Green’s Looking for Alaska and the Elle Fanning-led All The Bright Places.

What other Emily Henry books are becoming movies?

Berkley/Penguin

The covers for Emily Henry's Beach Read, Book Lovers, Happy Place and Funny Story.

Henry has penned four other novels including 2020’s Beach Read, 2022’s Book Lovers, 2023’s Happy Place and 2024’s Funny Story. Four of Henry’s books have been greenlit to become adapted as movies, while one other will be a TV show.

Kuang, who is adapting the screenplay for People We Meet on Vacation, will also adapt Beach Read into a movie for 20th Century Studios. The news was announced in April 2023, a month after Book Lovers was also confirmed to be getting a movie. Henry’s novel Funny Story came out in April 2024 and the author herself will write the script for the movie.

As for Happy Place, the book was announced to be optioned by Netflix for a series by Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions in June 2024, per Deadline.

However, People We Meet on Vacation is the only project to have a cast attached to it.