Every Emily Henry Romance Book Being Adapted As A Movie Or TV Show

Emily Henry has taken the romance genre by 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 that Emily Henry's romance novels are being adapted for screens. From Beach 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 to romantic book-to-screen adaptations—and if studios stay faithful to the source material, the rom-com adaptations may soon become classics. While each 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 each Emily Henry book adaptation have mostly been kept under wraps. However, there have been some rumors one adaptation may grace screens as soon as late 2025.

5 People We Meet On Vacation

Netflix & 3000 Pictures

Custom Image by Dalton Norman

It was first announced that People 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, and their 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's Looking for Alaska, and Jennifer Niven's All 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—although it is yet unknown whether the project has since wrapped.

4 Beach 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 Read is 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's Beach Read created a flurry of excitement among fans. Sadly, little of the project has been disclosed since its announcement, and it's unknown whether the project has progressed further into development. However, Henry told Variety back 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.

3 Book Lovers

Tango Entertainment

Emily Henry's Book Lovers was published in 2022, and quickly became a BookTok favorite romance. And a year after its release, the book was optioned for a movie adaptation by production company, Tango Entertainment. Book Lovers is 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.

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 series Modern Love and HBO's Emmy-winning Girls—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 the Book Lovers movie in 2025.

2 Happy 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, including Atlas and The Mother, making the choice to adapt Henry's Happy Place into a TV series a wise decision. Happy Place revolves 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 adapt Happy Place as 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 in order to tell the story within a specific timeframe. This is where Happy Place will 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.

1 Funny Story

Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company

Funny Story was one of the best romance novels to 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 that Funny Story is 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.

So far, little has been shared about the Funny Story project. However, its pick up for a film adaptation in July, soon after the book's May release, might help push the project timeline along faster than Henry's other adaptations. Funny Story explores 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 Story is another Emily Henry masterpiece, and its comedic but heartfelt narrative easily lends itself to becoming a beloved addition to the romance movie genre.

Source: Variety