Emily Henry has taken theromance genreby storm—with several of her romance novels becoming New York Times bestsellers year after year. With her book’s ever-growing popularity among fans, it’s no surprise thatEmily Henry’s romance novelsare being adapted for screens. FromBeach Read, the author’s first foray into adult romance, to her latest release,Funny Story,every one of Henry’s novels from the last five years has been optioned for TV series or film. And a variety of big-name studios and production houses are already attached to each project.
Henry’s relatable and compelling romances make her books a top choice when it comes toromantic book-to-screen adaptations—and if studios stay faithful to the source material, the rom-com adaptations may soon become classics. Whileeach project is currently at different stages of development, there are several large updates to each, including casting, writers, directors, and more. The release dates for eachEmily Henry book adaptationhave mostly been kept under wraps. However, there have been some rumors one adaptation may grace screens as soon as late 2025.
5People We Meet On Vacation
Netflix & 3000 Pictures
It was first announced thatPeople We Meet on Vacation, Henry’s second adult romance, would receive a movie adaptation in October 2022. Since then, the rights have been bought by Netflix, and will be produced by 3000 Pictures. And in August 2024, it was announced that Emily Bader (My Lady Jane) and Tom Blythe (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) would play the novel’s romantic leads, Poppy and Alex. The two actors each have impressive portfolios, andtheir experience working on book-to-screen adaptations in the past makes them an excellent choice in bringing Henry’s slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance to life.
By the time of the casting announcement in August, Henry had also stated the script—to be adapted by screenwriter Yulin Kuang—was nearly complete. Brett Haley has also been secured as director, highly regarded and known for his previous book-to-screen adaptations of John Green’sLooking for Alaska, and Jennifer Niven’sAll the Bright Places. Filming began in September 2024, and several fans even caught a behind-the-scenes look when the crew was filming on location in New Orleans in October—althoughit is yet unknown whether the project has since wrapped.
4Beach Read
20th Century Studios
Emily Henry’s first adult romance,Beach Read, will also receive the feature film treatment, with 20th Century Studios set to adapt.Beach Readis a charming rivals-to-lovers romance, where two writers—who used to be college rivals—challenge each other to write outside their literary comfort zones, leading to an abundance of feet-kicking dialogue and absolutely swoon-worthy scenes.The adaptation was first announced in April 2023—with Yulin Kuang once again attached to the project. However, this time, the screenwriter will serve as both writer and director—marking Kuang’s directorial debut.
20th Century Studios' quick grab of Emily Henry’sBeach Readcreated a flurry of excitement among fans.
20th Century Studios' quick grab of Emily Henry’sBeach Readcreated a flurry of excitement among fans. Sadly, little of the project has been disclosed since its announcement, andit’s unknown whether the project has progressed further into development. However, Henry toldVarietyback in March 2024, that a “fantastic” first draft does already exist. These comments were made shortly after the hype surrounding Henry’s St. Patrick’s Day Instagram post—one that bolstered fans' hopes that Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal would be announced to play the novel’s main characters, January and Gus. But unfortunately, casting has not yet been confirmed.
3Book Lovers
Tango Entertainment
Emily Henry’sBook Loverswas published in 2022, and quickly became aBookTok favorite romance. And a year after its release, the book was optioned for a movie adaptation by production company, Tango Entertainment.Book Loversis one of Henry’s most-loved romances, not only because it subverts the “typical” Hallmark rom-com, but because the main characters are incredibly relatable—ensuring the adaptation will be a hit among movie-goers, as well as the book’s existing fans, upon its release.
Netflix’s Quicksilver Adaptation Is Exciting, But The Books Already Raise A Major Concern
While the news of Netflix’s Quicksilver adaptation is exciting, the books have already raised one major concern for the project’s future.
While a director has yet to be attached to the book-to-screen adaptation, acclaimed writer Sarah Heyward is poised to adapt the screenplay. Heyward is best known for her work with the hit TV seriesModern Loveand HBO’s Emmy-winningGirls—making her a trustworthy choice in writing the adaptation of the Emily Henry novel. Unfortunately,project updates have been quiet since the adaptation announcement, but many are hopeful Henry will have news about the state of theBook Loversmovie in 2025.
2Happy Place
Netflix & Nuyorican Productions
In July, it was announced the Emily Henry novel,Happy Place, would be adapted into a TV series for Netflix—set to be produced by Jennifer Lopez’s company, Nuyorican Productions. Lopez’s company had seen success with its previous Netflix films, includingAtlasandThe Mother, making the choice to adapt Henry’sHappy Placeinto a TV series a wise decision.Happy Placerevolves around Harriet and Wyn, a couple who broke up six months ago, but have yet to tell their many best friends—a scenario that has them “pretending” to be in love so they don’t spoil their friend group’s annual vacation.
The decision to adaptHappy Placeas a Netflix series over a movie gives the narrative much more time to shine on screen. Whereas with film adaptations, much of the novel is typically cut down to tell the story within a specific timeframe. This is whereHappy Placewill truly thrive, as the series' many episodes will help the adaptation stay faithful to the novel’s original storyline—with minimal changes necessary. While yet to be confirmed, it’s likely the series will be covered in approximately eight episodes, giving the overall series a much longer runtime than a movie.
1Funny Story
Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company
Funny Storywas one of thebest romance novelsto release in 2024, and it was announced the bestseller will be adapted for film by Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company. With several producers already attached to the film, and Henry set to executive produce and write the adaptive screenplay herself, it’s safe to say thatFunny Storyis poised to become one of the best of Henry’s adaptations. This would mark Henry’s first screenwriting project, and her stellar writing more than recommends her for the job.
Funny Storyis another Emily Henry masterpiece, and its comedic but heartfelt narrative easily lends itself to becoming a beloved addition to theromancemovie genre.
So far, little has been shared about theFunny Storyproject. However,its pick up for a film adaptation in July, soon after the book’s May release, might help push the project timeline along fasterthan Henry’s other adaptations.Funny Storyexplores the strange dynamic in which both Daphne and Miles' exes begin to date, and in order to make them jealous, the two heart-broken protagonists begin “fake-dating” each other.Funny Storyis another Emily Henry masterpiece, and its comedic but heartfelt narrative easily lends itself to becoming a beloved addition to theromancemovie genre.
