The first casting details for an upcoming adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling novels have been revealed. On Friday, it was announced that Tom Blyth and Emily Bader will headline the film adaptation of Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation. Bader, known for her role in My Lady Jane, will play Poppy, while Blyth, who stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, will take on the role of Alex.
The film will follow two best friends who used to spend one week of every summer together but drifted apart for two years. When Poppy persuades Alex to join her for one last vacation, she hopes to mend their fractured friendship.
Yet, the real issue they must confront is whether their bond is purely platonic or something deeper. Published in 2021 by Berkley, a Penguin Random House imprint, People We Meet on Vacation reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has sold over 2 million copies in the U.S.
Brett Haley will direct the film, with Yulin Kuang adapting the screenplay. Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and Isaac Klausner are producing, while Laura Quicksilver and Erin Siminoff from Temple Hill are overseeing the project for 3000 Pictures.
The film is part of a deal where Sony Pictures will give Netflix a first look at its upcoming films intended for streaming.
Blyth is represented by Gersh, United Agents in the UK, MJ Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, while Bader is repped by Innovative Artists, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
In addition to People We Meet on Vacation, four other novels by Henry are being adapted into films — Beach Read, Book Lovers, and Funny Story — and her novel Happy Place is set to become a Netflix series.
Netflix shared a video of Bader discovering she got the role of Poppy, with Blyth joining in the celebration. Henry later congratulated the actors, expressing her confidence that both readers and new fans will fall in love with their portrayals of Poppy and Alex.