Reese Witherspoon finally brings her star power to Netflix with two romantic comedies
By Reed Gaudens
At long last, Reese Witherspoon will revive romantic comedies with a pair of movies at Netflix set to star the unstoppable producer.
If you’ve been loving the content Reese Witherspoon has been producing and starring in for cable networks and other streaming services but have been patiently waiting for her inevitable Netflix takeover, your time will soon come.
Deadline reports Witherspoon and her Hello Sunshine production company have set up not one but two romantic comedies at Netflix, and they sound just as promising as the star’s early rom-coms we know, love and have watched dozens of times.
In her first production and starring deal with Netflix, Reese Witherspoon brings her star power and brilliant eye to the streaming giant for her long-overdue revival of the romantic comedy genre. Witherspoon will produce and star in rom-coms Your Place or Mine, a team-up with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films, and The Cactus, an adaptation of the bestselling novel. Finally, Witherspoon’s doing what she does best at Netflix, but it’s a wonder it took so long.
Your Place or Mine centers on a pair of long-distance best friends who find their lives changed when one friend (Witherspoon) chases a lifelong dream and the other (a male star to be cast) looks after her teenage son.
Given Bateman’s role as a producer on the film and his standing as a Netflix favorite with Ozark grabbing impressive numbers, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could slip into that co-leading role. Not for nothing, but watching Witherspoon and Bateman star opposite each other in a romantic comedy would be a dream come true.
The film marks the directorial debut of Aline Brosh McKenna, who wrote the internet’s most frequently debated rom-com The Devil Wears Prada (who’s the real villain?!) and co-created The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Jumping off from that sure-to-be excellent original, Witherspoon will also star and produce the adaptation of Sarah Haywood’s bestselling novel The Cactus. Published last spring, the novel centers on a 45-year-old woman whose unplanned pregnancy kick starts her personal exploration into what she wants from life, love, and family. Obviously, bringing the page to screen is Reese Witherspoon’s specialty.
After dominating the TV world with award-winning hits such as HBO’s Big Little Lies and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, it’s only natural for Witherspoon to extend her relationship with streaming and find her niche at Netflix. First come romantic comedies, but perhaps next comes the next great Emmy-winning limited series.
She’s produced a number of titles for the streamer’s competition, including Amazon’s upcoming Daisy Jones & The Six and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, which she starred in to rave reviews alongside Kerry Washington. Clearly, now it’s time for America’s rom-com sweetheart to charm her way back into our hearts with brand-new movies that could change the game.
Over the past couple of years, Netflix has become the unofficial home to the rom-com revival, but no one could officially bring them back like the double-threat actress-producer. Your Place or Mine and The Cactus will without a doubt rank among her best movies and move the future of romantic comedies forward. Of course, the current lockdown on productions leaves a question mark on their respective release dates, but they’ll be worth the wait.
Are you excited for Reese Witherspoon’s upcoming Netflix romantic comedies? Which one sounds best? Sound off in the comments!