People We Meet on Vacation writer addresses “clever” changes for Netflix adaptation

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Netflix’s first major release of 2026 is People We Meet on Vacation, a film based on the popular romance novel. Although the author, Emily Henry, didn’t write the screenplay herself, she’s indicated she approves of the changes made during the adaptation.

I was reading an interview with Henry recently, and she was talking about adapting her book, Funny Story, into a movie. She told Digital Spy that she learned a ton – seriously, so much – about making a movie from a book. The biggest thing? You really have to be willing to change things around from the original story to make it work on screen.

I strive for realism in my writing, and the director, Brett Haley, and I both wanted to maintain that throughout the film. However, we also needed to include scenes that felt big and dramatic, like you’d expect in a movie theater.

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It’s fascinating to watch the writing process, especially how skilled writers can condense complex ideas. They can take something that would take five scenes to explain in a book and distill it down to a single, impactful moment.

Instead of simply removing five scenes, we added a single new scene that smoothly links the earlier and later parts of the story.

Fans of the book People We Meet on Vacation will find plenty to enjoy in the adaptation. The story centers on Poppy and Alex, two friends who reconnect after a period of silence and finally confess their feelings for each other. It’s a classic romantic comedy!

Just like in the novels, the story shows Poppy and Alex going on several adventures throughout the years, and these trips were just as significant for the actors playing them as they were for the characters themselves.

Blyth told Digital Spy that they filmed the tent scene in Canada late at night while both they and another person were sick with the flu.

Both I and others on set were starting to feel unwell, especially after filming the rain scene. Despite being sick, it was a really touching and peaceful experience.

Bader explained that the filming approach also helped. He often finds it challenging to act in large spaces, as it can feel less personal. However, they created a very intimate setting by filming inside a tent on the soundstage, with only the camera operator present. This made it feel like everything else disappeared, allowing them to fully focus on the scene.

I really connected with those characters and their bond in that scene. What I appreciate most about them is that their friendship feels genuine – they’re truly like best friends, and that’s really heartwarming.

People We Meet on Vacation is released on Netflix on 9 January.

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2026-01-06 19:21