For years, we’ve been in a rom-com drought. The lovetruck antics of 2000s heroines like Andie Anderson from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Marisa Ventura from Maid in Manhattan, or 13 Going on 30‘s Jenna Rink largely feel a part of Hollywood’s yesteryear—and frankly, we’ve been mourning their absence.
Enter: Writer Emily Henry. The author is partially responsible for the romance novel boom in recent years, as she’s penned six rom-com-inspired books since 2020—and now she’s bringing them to the big screen, one by one.
“I genuinely couldn’t be more excited to work on the adaptations of Happy Place and Funny Story with Netflix,” she told Tudum of her dual movie projects.
Details about the film have been somewhat scarce, but we’ve got just enough scoop about the upcoming project to have us genuinely excited. Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the Funny Story film, from its buzzed-about fan-casting to its juicy plot.
What is ‘Funny Story’ by Emily Henry about?
Funny Story tells the tale of two scorned lovers, Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak, whose exes have left them for each other. Now, they’re teaming up to get their revenge by pretending to be head-over-heels in love with each other—despite being total opposites. Oh, and because Daphne is without a place to live, no thanks to her canceled wedding, she and Miles decide to live together as roommates. What could go wrong?
“Breakups are horrible in the moment, and oftentimes later, they’re very hilarious,” Henry told Elle of her fifth romance book upon its release. And that certainly rings true for the buttoned-up librarian Daphne and the disheveled, goofy Miles, who develop a witty banter, even though their exes have abruptly become an item.
For all its “com,” however, Funny Story also has plenty of heart as its two leads inevitably begin to fall for each other. As Henry told Elle, “Love is not just a silly story. It might be a funny story, but it’s not silly and superfluous. It’s the reason.”
When is the ‘Funny Story’ adaptation coming out?
However, the screenplay has been in the works for some time. Henry revealed to fans that she had been working on it back in July 2024. “I have a draft of a script,” she announced at the time on her Substack, adding, “We’re all chomping at the bit to get this made.”
If Netflix moves ahead with the draft Henry already wrote, casting could begin and be announced later this year. If that were the case, filming could begin in 2027, with the project due for release by either late 2027 or early 2028.
Can’t wait for the finished product? Adaptations of Henry’s other novels, Beach Read, Book Lovers and Happy Place, helmed by Jennifer Lopez’s production company Nuyorican Productions, are also in development, so we’re sure to have *something* to tide us over soon. And in the meantime, there’s always People We Meet on Vacation starring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader.
Who is in the ‘Funny Story’ movie cast?
Funny Story’s official cast has not been announced, but that hasn’t stopped fans from throwing several actors’s hats into the audition ring—and Henry is totally on board.
“I love always hearing other people’s fan casts,” she told Us Weekly. “I don’t picture an actor when I’m writing, but after there’s a book that’s starting to get adapted, I do start thinking about it.”
Leading the audience-chosen pack? Stranger Things alum/musician Joe Keery or Twinless and Send Help star Dylan O’Brien. “Those actors are definitely on my mental Miles list. I think both of them would make total sense,” Henry reportedly told Us Weekly.
The author also clued the publication into her preferences for some of the film’s supporting characters, including Miles’s sister Julia (Alien: Earth star Sydney Chandler) and Daphne’s pops. “It has to be someone who’s got some charm and is a hot dad,” she reasoned. The writer said she briefly considered Matthew McConaughey, but thinks he might be “a little bit too young.” She continued, “I always loved…Stellan Skarsgård…[and] I think Dennis Quaid is perfect because you also get that little rom-com of old nod by getting him in there.”
As for Miles’s cheating ex, Petra, Henry is aiming for someone with duality. “Petra’s whole thing is, like, you want to hate her, but also you’re like, ‘You’re also really nice. You did this bad thing.’”
She didn’t weigh in on her hopes for Daphne, but fans have mentioned everyone from Molly Gordon to Dakota Johnson to Lily Collins. Everything is still speculation, though, so we’ll have to wait and see!
Henry has also been open about how casting hasn’t been as easy as picking names out of a hat. “If the actors aren’t fantastic, the movie is going to sink or swim based on that,” she told Variety. “I still have been surprised by a lot of the ways that I feel like I’ve come up against a stigma. It’s really hard to cast these movies. I think there are a lot of actors who are very wary of this genre.”
She continued, “I think actors are very afraid that if they do one of these movies, they will be taken less seriously, or [that] they’ll be stuck in this genre, and they won’t be able to do anything else.”
Beyond that, Henry also pointed out the logistics. “You have to find someone who you feel like the audience will be excited about, you are excited about, the director and producers are excited about, the studio is excited about, and they’re free, available, and excited to do this. So it is shockingly hard, but there is movement.”
Newly shared picture of Emily Henry with the script of the upcoming adaptation of “Funny Story” via Netflix Tudum. pic.twitter.com/sDU5C29RbeJanuary 10, 2026
Who else is involved in the ‘Funny Story’ movie?
Behind the scenes, Henry will tackle her script. No director has been attached, but several producers are on board. Andrew Sweet for Ryder Picture Company and Alexander Black and Natalie Sellers for Lyrical Media will produce. Before Netflix was announced as the distributor, the aforementioned production team was on board.
“I left that meeting, with Ryder Picture Company and Lyrical Media, feeling that space crackling,” she wrote in a newsletter to fans in 2024. “I came away from the call feeling not just excited, but eager to get going.”
What has Emily Henry said about bringing ‘Funny Story’ to the screen?
Henry opened up about the film adaptation experience in an August 2025 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “It’s so fun adapting your own book because you already know it so deeply and intimately,” she shared. “It’s like you’re just thinking about your favorite parts.”
In addition to the screenwriting process, Henry has some strong opinions about the visuals for the upcoming film—and it’s pretty much cozy or bust.
“Something that I have stressed with all of my producers and directors is the need for a very distinct sense of coziness in the actual setting,” she told Variety, pointing to the work of fellow romance icons Nancy Meyers (The Holiday, Father of the Bride) and Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally…, Sleepless in Seattle). “The characters can still be messy, the conflicts can still happen, but setting and sets are so important.”
We can’t wait to see our beloved Daphne and Miles live in that world IRL!
