Rom-Com Queen Meg Ryan Directs One Of Her Own
When you hear the phrase “rom-com,” and you’re over the age of 40, one name immediately pops into your head: Meg Ryan. In my mind, she is the undisputed queen of romantic comedies. Ryan starred in such genre classics as Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and the gold standard of rom-coms, When Harry Met Sally. After an eight-year hiatus from the big screen, Meg Ryan is back in the rom-com business.
According to Variety, not only is Meg Ryan starring in the upcoming film, What Happens Later, she also co-wrote the screenplay and is directing the new romantic comedy. It seems like it was only a matter of time, right? This is the first rom-com Ryan has ever directed, but her second directorial effort overall. She directed and starred in the wartime family drama, Ithaca, in 2015.
David Duchovny co-stars with Meg Ryan in What Happens Later. Willa (Ryan) and Bill (Duchovny) are two exes who find themselves stranded in a regional airport due to bad weather. The movie was shot inside the Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville, Arkansas. While their flights are indefinitely delayed, Willa and Bill find they’re still carrying some emotional baggage from way back, in addition to their actual baggage.
The dialogue in the trailer (below) for What Happens Later has a familiar rhythm and pacing to it. And it appears that the film focuses entirely on the conversation between Willa and Bill. That makes sense since the movie is based on a stage play called Shooting Star. There are, however, some interesting interjections from the disembodied voice on the airport’s PA system. What Happens Later opens in theaters on October 13th.
