Writer-director Nancy Meyers—the Steven Spielberg of rom-coms—is gearing up to make her first film since 2015. Responsible for modern classics such as The Parent Trap, The Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give, and It’s Complicated, it’s safe to say that when Meyers’s name is attached to a project, you know it’s going to be funny, moving, and filled with gorgeous interior design.
The Netflix-backed film is still under wraps for the most part—it doesn’t have a title or a projected release date yet, although production is expected to begin in May 2023 in Los Angeles. But the streaming service has dropped subtle hints of what’s to come. Here’s everything we know about the forthcoming romantic comedy.
Who’s in it?
No one has formally signed on to star in the movie, which has been described as an ensemble comedy. That said, the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender are in talks.
It’s semi-autobiographical.
A loose plot summary for the film has been circulating: “A talented young writer/director and brilliant young producer get off to a fantastic Hollywood start: meeting, quickly falling in love, and creating successful films together. Soon enough, the romance fades and the two call it quits, but when another great career opportunity arises, they find themselves teamed up on a new project with high stakes and two emotionally volatile stars that may test their limits…”
“Hollywood exes” with lingering chemistry who are forced to reunite sounds an awful lot like Meyers’s relationship with her ex-husband, filmmaker Charles Shyer. In a submission to The New York Times‘ “Modern Love” column, Meyers admitted to basing Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin’s dynamic in It’s Complicated on her relationship with Shyer.
The deal evolved out of another project.
In 2020, Meyers teamed up with Netflix to release Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish), a short film released exclusively on the streaming service’s social media accounts. Made to generate money for World Central Kitchen at the height of the pandemic, the project blended original cast members from Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II with new faces like Robert De Niro, Florence Pugh, and Ben Platt. According to Deadline, having developed a relationship with Netflix film chief Scott Stuber through that collaboration, Meyers subsequently pitched him an idea for a feature-length film.
