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There is no perfect time to rewatch an old Meg Ryan rom-com. Well, here’s the good news: the queen of romantic comedies is back, but this time she is pushing the boundaries as a director, exploring themes of regret and defying age. Yes, the 90s star continues to stay loyal to her signature genre despite the actors’ strike. She is equally captivating in front of and behind the camera in her upcoming filmWhat Happens Later, where she also serves as both director and co-writer.
Based on the critically acclaimed Steven Dietz playShooting Star, What Happens Latertells the story of a chance encounter between former couple Willa (Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny) while they are stuck in an airport. In other words, the Bleecker Street film is about two ex-lovers who reunite at the airport after their flights are delayed and they spend the night reliving their past.
Also read:“It’s nice to think of it as a job”: After Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan Reveals Why She Took a Break from Hollywood After Becoming Rom-Com Queen
Meg Ryan Discussed Love, Aging, And Her Return To Rom-Coms
Meg Ryan, 61, is helming and starring in a new romantic comedy. And yet, here she is withWhat Happens Later,which opens in theaters this Friday and is an incredibly endearing film about a former couple who cross paths 25 years later. She toldUSA TODAYshe was not drawn to the story because of their ages, but
“(Love) is endlessly interesting to me. People are trying to sort it out. We’re looking at people and asking quite often, ‘How are you doing it?’ That never stops. It doesn’t stop in your 20s.”
Eight years have passed since Ryan last appeared in a movie(Ithaca),and it has been 15 years since her last romantic comedy (My Mom’s New Boyfriend).Then she reappeared as if by magic, taking on the iconic roles of her favorite genre in her latest flick. There was an interim agreement with the Screen Actors Guild that permitted her andDavid Duchovnyto discuss the film despite the actors’ strike.
Just like inWhat Happens Later, they joke around during the interview with USA TODAY, occasionally enhancing each other’s ideas. Ryan shared:
“(Love) makes the world go round forever, always. It’s the best thing we’ve got. So why not dig into that? It’s not exclusive to people at any moment in their lives. And it probably is an underserved audience − I don’t think there are very many movies about characters in their 50s finding love.”
Also read:“This is a very unique embarrassment”: The Boys Star Jack Quaid is Still Distressed by Meg Ryan’s ‘Fake Orgasm’ Scene in Movie Rejected by Tom Hanks
Meg Ryan Explained Her Reason for Taking a ‘Giant Break’ From Hollywood
Meg Ryan is finally back on the big screen, eight years after her last picture, her directorial debut,Ithaca(2015). She is the director, star, and co-writer of her upcoming romantic comedyWhat Happens Later,which is about two ex-lovers who spend the night together at an airport because of snowfall. The actress toldPEOPLE:
“It came to me during lockdown. The essence of it is these two people who are stuck together. I just love that idea that we’re held in a space, even if it feels conflicted, maybe for reasons that heal them.”
Ryan, who co-starred with David Duchovny, described the entire production as
“Magical. It’s a little roller-coaster ride between these two people, and it asks the question in a way: Will they or won’t they end up together? These are people who broke one another’s hearts way back when. And I think what they gained is that they have gratitude for that.”
Still, given her growing fame, why was she so keen to step back from the limelight? Ryan revealed:
“I took a giant break because I felt like there’s just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop.It’s nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me.”
TheBleecker Streetfilmwas rescheduled from its original release date of July 20, 2025, to August 08, 2025, to avoid conflicting with Taylor Swift’s concert film,Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
What Happens Lateris arriving in theaters on November 3.
Also read:“Screw up people’s brains about love forever”: Meg Ryan’s Classic Rom-Com With Tom Hanks Was Filmed as a Social Experiment By Director
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
