Why Emily Henry Says People We Meet on Vacation Movie Changes the Book

No need to book a ticket for this highly anticipated vacation. The movie adaptation of Emily Henry ’s novel People We Meet on Vacation will soon be making its way to Netflix. And to say Emily Bader and Tom Blyth ’s performances as Poppy Wright and Alex Nilson got her seal of approval is almost an understatement.

“ It was amazing, it really was,” Henry told E! News in an exclusive interview of watching her novel come to life in the Brett Haley -directed movie . “I was lucky enough to get to do some set visits, so I got to see it in real life and knew that it worked. But getting to actually see a cut of the movie, they've changed the characters in my in my head, which I think is the sign of a really great movie.



” That said, they’re still the same BFFs she envisioned for the 2021 book—just with a small twist. “It's not like they're totally different people,” she continued, “but they embodied the characters in a way that the characters shifted for me slightly and became more Tom and Emily than they were when I initially wrote the book." She added, “And I think readers are going to feel the same way.

I think they're going to love Alex and Poppy, and they're going to love Tom and Emily as Alex and Poppy.” Like her, she predicts that for fans, the movie is “going to change the way that they reread that book.” And that reaction from readers will cement, for her, that the adaptation “is just as good as we could have possibly hoped.

” After all, the Netflix film—which also stars Jameela Jamil , Sarah Catherine Hook , Lukas Gage , Lucien Laviscount , Molly Shannon and more—isn’t meant to be an exact replica of the book. So, while Henry’s excited for readers to see fan-favorite moments like Alex and Poppy’s first kiss, she also teased the new scenes and why they fit so well into the world she created. “I also think there's something really cool about them getting to see content that is not directly from the book, but could be from the book,” Henry explained.

“I think it's sort of an expansion of the universe in a way that's really fun.” “It's all so good and it's different, but it's different in a way that still feels like very at one with the book,” she stressed. “It doesn't feel like it's not a faithful adaptation.

” While fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Alex and Poppy on the big screen, they can still catch glimpses of the duo in Henry’s books—including in her new novel Great Big Beautiful Life (out now). Although, readers will have to dig deep to find the reference amid the pages as writers Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson compete to be named reclusive heiress Margaret Ives’ official biographer—and possibly fall in love. “There's one in this book that I can remember that I'm excited for them to catch that’s so tiny, but it is an Easter egg pointing to Poppy and Alex,” she teased.

“There's a reference to them.” Not to mention their nod in her 2025 novel Funny Story . “My favorite one is in Funny Story , and it also points to Poppy and Alex,” Henry continued.

“But it is discrete enough I don't know if anyone knows that Poppy and Alex are literally on the page at one point.” Great Big Beautiful Life is on sale now. Our writers and editors independently determine what we cover and recommend.

When you buy through our links, E! may earn a commission. Learn more . Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry This irresistible story blends mystery, romance, and razor-sharp wit as two writers compete to uncover a legendary heiress’s secrets—while fighting their own unexpected connection.

If you love sharp banter, slow-burn tension, and juicy family drama, you won’t want to miss this. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Before it hits the big screen, fall for this witty, slow-burn romance about friendship, missed chances, and the one trip that could change everything. Keep reading to see more fan-favorite books making their way to the screen.

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