The first teaser of Netflix’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s 2021 bestselling romance novel People We Meet On Vacation was released this week. People We Meet On Vacation follows best friends Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), who have vacationed the last ten summers together. Childhood best friends with a strong bond despite their distance, Poppy has been living in New York City for years while Alex has remained in their hometown. Every year, they met without fail for a blissful week of traveling — until two years ago, when everything went wrong. Unable to take the separation any longer, Poppy reaches out and convinces Alex to join her on one last vacation to unpack and repair the past. Alex agrees.
First Looks at Netflix’s Adaptation
This slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance unfolds across two timelines: Poppy and Alex’s past trips leading up to their fallout, and their present-day trip in Barcelona (originally Palm Springs in the novel). Immediately, the trailer sets the tone of these two characters. Poppy arrives at the baggage carousel, dancing and singing to Hang With Me by Robyn, celebrating her checked bag coming out first, while Alex stands behind her, subtly amused with a tight-lipped smile. The humor, tension, and history between them is palpable from the first 30 seconds of the teaser: the free-spirited woman and the type A, orderly man who shouldn’t work, but do.
From there, we head into a montage of their travels together. We see their tour buses, hikes, late drunk nights, camping trips, lounging by the beach, staring longingly into each other’s eyes, all punctuated by a question from another traveler: “Are you guys like a thing?” To which Poppy and Alex simultaneously respond: “No, we’re just friends.” Poppy elaborates, “Platonic travel companions.” The last frame is Poppy walking into a party in a stunning olive dress while Alex looks longingly at her with a smile.
Casting and Creation
Alongside Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, People We Meet On Vacation stars Sarah Catherine Hook (The White Lotus) as Sarah, Lucien Laviscount (Emily In Paris) as Trey, Miles Heizer (13 Reasons Why) as David, and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) as Swapna. Comedy legend Molly Shannon will also appear as Wanda, as well as Lukas Gage (You) as Buck, Tommy Do (Hack) as Nam, and Alan Ruck (Succession) as Jimmy. The cast is loaded with well-known faces who have excelled in comedy roles; let’s see if they can bring the tears as well as the laughs.
Fans have been reacting positively to the trailer since its release, and, better yet, the author herself has given the ultimate stamp of approval to her novel’s adaptation:
I’ve been kind of an anxious wreck about who would play these characters […] I truly could not feel more confident that my readers and so many more people who don’t even know about the book are going to completely fall in love with Poppy and Alex.”
– Emily Henry, Tudum By Netflix
People We Meet On Vacation’s director, Brett Haley, emphasized her intention to keep as much as possible from the original source material, being a fan of the novel herself. Her love of Henry’s novel motivated her to fully capture the depth of Alex and Poppy’s arc, ensuring their journey from opposites to budding friends, to best friends, and ultimately lovers is crystal clear on the screen. Haley says:
It was essential to me, and to everyone involved, that we honor that arc. Their love story is the spine of the book, and it had to be the spine of the film.”
– Brett Haley, Tudum By Netflix
Netflix’s adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation is set to release on January 9th, 2026. While we wait for the film, read Emily Henry’s bestseller; check out the novel that launched her career, Beach Read; and start preparing yourself for an epic romance. We’ll keep our eyes peeled and meet you back here for a review in the new year.
Love unpacking a swoon-worthy adaptation? Rehash The Summer I Turned Pretty here.
Yearning for more romance? Check out our Love Is In The Air: Contemporary Romance bookshelf on Bookshop.
