Netflix has released its latest romantic comedy, People We Meet on Vacation, bringing Emily Henry's bestselling 2021 novel to the screen. The story follows the decade-long friendship between free-spirited travel writer Poppy and her more cautious best friend Alex, who reunite for a holiday every summer.
Preserving the Beloved Flashback Format
Director Brett Haley has revealed that a significant creative battle was fought during production to stay true to the book's narrative structure. Speaking to Netflix ahead of the film's premiere on 09 January 2026, Haley explained that he insisted on keeping the novel's signature flashback format.
"We wrestled a long time with doing a flashback-driven film, which is how the book is written," said Haley. "We really fought to use the 'X summers ago' format because we knew that people love that element. We wanted to make sure it rang very true for readers."
The film, starring Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blyth as Alex, therefore mirrors the book by weaving past summer vacations into the present-day storyline.
A Deliberate Nod to Devoted Readers
Haley's dedication to the source material extended to the film's final scene. The director confirmed that the closing shot, which shows Poppy and Alex on sun loungers by a beach, is a direct recreation of the book's cover art.
"From the very first draft I was like 'We need to end the movie on the book cover,'" Haley stated. He consistently checked back with Henry's original text to find ways to include "Easter eggs or little nods to the book that fans will love."
Collaboration with the Author
Author Emily Henry praised Haley's careful approach to the adaptation process. She noted that while changes are inevitable when translating a book to film, the director was highly consultative.
"A lot of things have to change for a film, but every time there was one of those changes he would ask me if I had a reaction to it," Henry told Netflix. "If I thought the readers wouldn’t be totally on board, we tried to find a new solution."
Despite his focus on satisfying existing fans, Haley also emphasised that the film was crafted to welcome newcomers. "It was important to open this up for people who haven’t read the book or who might want to read the book," he said. "This is a film that everybody can enjoy."
People We Meet on Vacation is available to stream globally on Netflix now.
