Meg Ryan was minted as the queen of romantic comedies thanks to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY and two movies with Tom Hanks, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and YOU'VE GOT MAIL. (We're not dismissing another Ryan/Hanks movie here, JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO — it's just that the 1990 movie is something quite different from a romcom.) Her career is far more than romantic comedies, but still, years later, Meg Ryan's name makes many people think of romcoms.
So it's a pleasant surprise to see that the new movie WHAT HAPPENS LATER marks Ryan's romcom return. It's even more interesting to see that she's also the director! Check out the trailer for Ryan's new movie and learn everything else we can tell you about WHAT HAPPENS LATER.
When Does What Happens Later Come Out?
Bleecker Street will release WHAT HAPPENS LATER on November 3.
Watch the What Happens Later Trailer
What a nice trailer! Clearly the movie allows the stars to build a story in a way that is almost more like a stage play than many movies. But there's also a clearly cinematic style going on.
Who Stars in What Happens Later?
The movie has a somewhat unusual structure in that there are really only two primary actors in the film: Meg Ryan and David Duchovny. As the trailer shows, they play free-spirited Willa Bill, who dated decades ago, and now end up spending a night together stuck in a snowed-in airport.
There are other people in incidental roles, and then there's the airport announcer, who acts as sort of narrator. That role is voiced by an actor who is yet to be announced.
Meg Ryan's New Romcom Is Based on a Play
We mentioned that there's a stage play sort of vibe in the trailer, and, well, that's because the movie is based on a play! The source is "Shooting Star” by American playwright Steven Dietz. He also co-wrote the script, with Kirk Lynn and Meg Ryan.
This Is Meg Ryan's Second Movie as Director
Meg Ryan first directed the feature ITHACA, which was released in 2015. That was also the last movie in which she played a prominent role. ITHACA was a World War II-era drama, based on a book by William Saroyan. It doesn't have the most prominent profile but it's a good movie! We're glad to see Ryan back on screen — and back in the director's chair — especially after so long a wait.
WHAT HAPPENS LATER opens on November 3.
All images courtesy of Bleecker Street.