Why People We Meet on Vacation’s Emily Bader Is Being Hailed as the Next Meg Ryan

And while People We Meet on Vacation director Brett Haley cited Ephron as a behind-the-scenes muse, Bader shared how she quickly picked up on Ryan’s acting chops for her own inspiration.

“She toes this line of being really authentic and being able to have this really well of emotional depth but also be kind of silly,” Bader explained. “She doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously in these roles and I mean that as the highest compliment. Being able to fall on your face a little bit for the sake of these characters in comedy is something I was definitely inspired by.”

As for what Blyth saw in Bader that made him make such a flattering comparison to the Queen of the Rom-Com in the first place? It was how seamlessly she transformed into the love interest for his own character, Alex Nilsen.

“Everyone was saying for this character, like ‘Who’s Meg Ryan then, now?’” Tom added to E! News. “Everyone was like, ‘Who is it?’ and then you popped up and everyone was like, ‘Oh.’ There’s that quality that nobody has.”

Director Haley also emphasized that he couldn’t have envisioned a better Poppy than Bader. In fact, he even named one car ride scene in People We Meet that saw Bader unintentionally channel Ryan’s performance in When Harry Met Sally with ease.

“There’s a moment that everyone is freaking out about where, I think Sally in the car is like spraying her hair,” Haley explained in a separate interview with E! News alongside Henry. “And there’s a moment where Emily puts her ChapStick on and moves the mirror. Emily just did that on the day. She was just feeling that and I put that into the movie. She did that on one take and no other take.”

As he recalled, “I just went, ‘well that’s the one that’s going in.’”

People We Meet on Vacation hits Netflix Jan. 9. Keep reading for more upcoming releases to keep on your radar…

Zootopia 2 - November 26, 2025

Based on the award-winning 2020 novel by Maggie O'Farrell and directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the story of how William Shakespeare endured family tragedy to create his masterpiece, Hamlet. Starring Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, and Joe Alwyn.

Where to Watch: In select theaters on Nov. 27, expanding nationwide on Dec. 12.

This fresh twist on the classic holiday-comedy features a star-studded cast as one big dysfunctional family, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Jason Schwartzman, and Eva Longoria.

Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez star in the live stage filming of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical.

George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup and Laura Dern star in this "heartbreaking comedy" from writer-director Noah Baumbach.

Where to Watch: In theaters Nov. 14 and streaming on Netflix Dec. 5.

The 2023 horror hit gets the sequel treatment, with returning stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail and Matthew Lilllard joined by new characters played by Mckenna Grace and Skeet Ulrich.

When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement.

Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc for his most dangerous case yet, alongside a stellar supporting cast including Glenn Close, Josh O'Connor, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis and Kerry Washington.

Ella McCay - December 12, 2025

An all-star cast (Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri) leads this comedy about an idealistic young woman juggling her family and work life.

Directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern, this comedy-drama follows a middle-aged comedian navigating an impending divorce.

SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail on a seafaring comedy-adventure, complete with ghost pirates.

It’s nearly Christmas when an unexpected turn in their mother’s health thrusts four adult siblings, and their exasperating father, into chaos as they navigate messy family dynamics in the face of potential loss. Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut and stars alongside Helen Mirren, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn, and Timothy Spall.

Timothée Chalamet takes the lead in this 1950s-set sports drama about a young man with a dream of becoming a champion table-tennis player. Also starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A'zion.

Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams.

Tom Blyth and Emily Bader star in the movie adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling romance novel.

A group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.

BFFs Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite for this action thriller about a team of Miami cops who discover millions in cash in a derelict stash house and along with it some serious trust issues. Also starring Teyana Taylor and Steven Yeun.

Ralph Fiennes stars in this spin-off of the post-apocalyptic franchise, in which the inhumanity of the survivors becomes even more terrifying than the infected.

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi step into the iconic roles of Catherine and Heathcliff in Saltburn director Emerald Fennell's new adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel.

Based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book, this animated adaptation will feature the voices of Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, and America Ferrera.

Pixar’s all-new feature film introduces Mabel, an animal lover who uses new technology to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals!

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