I am starting to question if Lionsgate has an under-the-table deal with Kleenex because, after watching the studio’s Wish You Were Here trailer, I think this movie will make people cry. And not just a little; I’m talking about Niagara Falls, Frankie. Niagara Falls. Wish You Were Here offers an intimate look at Julia Stiles‘s feature directorial debut. In February, the Golden Globe-nominated actress-turned-filmmaker told Deadline she’s “been looking for years for the right story to tell” as a director, and she’s finally found it with an adaptation of Renee Carlino’s best-selling novel of the same name.
Here’s the official synopsis for Wish You Were Here courtesy of Lionsgate:
“Julia Stiles makes her directorial debut in a brilliantly warm and romantic film based on the bestselling novel, Wish You Were Here. Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer star in a fascinating movie about leaving the everyday world behind to take a chance on true romance. When the perfect night with a perfect stranger ends suddenly the next morning, Charlotte searches for answers and meaning in her disappointing life until she uncovers a secret that changes everything.”
In today’s Wish You Were Here trailer, Charlotte (Isabelle Fuhrman) meets Adam (Mena Massoud), a gifted artist with a devastating secret. After an enchanting evening together, Adam pushes Charlotte away, afraid that if he gets too close, she’ll discover his declining health. However, fate has other plans, and soon, Charlotte and Adam form an unbreakable bond despite Adam’s fragility and uncertain mortality. While intense sickness can compel some to distance themselves, others who genuinely care for you remain. These are the people you keep close to your heart, trusting them to see you through the darkest of times. Charlotte and Adam could be star-crossed lovers under the cruel and watchful eye of Father Time, a specter holding a Sword of Damocles as you fight to see the dawn of another day.
In addition to directing Wish You Were Here, Stiles co-wrote the film alongside Carlino. The film stars Isabelle Fuhrman (The Novice, Orphan), Mena Massoud (Aladdin, The Royal Treatment), Jimmie Fails (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Borderline), Gabby Kono-Abdy (Baker’s Dozen, Nighthawks), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier).
Prepare to turn on the waterworks, friends! Wish You Were Here will be in theaters on January 17, 2025, and on digital on February 4, 2025.
