Nobody Wants This? Yes, we do! Everything to know about Netflix's rom-com series
By Reed Gaudens
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody's long-awaited Netflix romantic comedy series finally has a title... and a release date... and a first-look photo! On May 15, Netflix revealed the funny and talented pair star in the comedy series Nobody Wants This and all 10 episodes will be released on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Netflix isn't the first to bring the former 2000s teen drama stars together. Bell and Brody both appeared in 2011's Scream 4, though they didn't share scenes. Brody also appeared in three episodes of Bell's Showtime series House of Lies in 2013. However, their biggest connection might be Gossip Girl. The Veronica Mars star provided the narration for The CW's teen drama, while Brody ended up marrying series star Leighton Meester. What a small world!
Nobody Wants This was first announced in March 2023 with Bell attached to the comedy from creator Erin Foster and executive producer Steven Levithan, who's best known for Modern Family. Brody joined the series in April 2023, and even though "Kristen Bell" and "comedy" were the only two things I needed to know to watch, The O.C. star's casting sealed the deal.
The show is based on a true story
Creator and co-showrunner Erin Foster told Netflix's TUDUM that the series is based on her real experiences with love. "This show is based on the only good decision I ever made: falling for a nice Jewish boy." In December 2019, the writer and actress, who once appeared on The O.C., married Simon Tikhman. Foster elaborated on the inspiration behind the series:
"But I realized that being happy is way harder than being miserable (there’s nothing to complain about). So, I created this show based on all the ways that finding the right person can be so hard. Nobody Wants This, but we do, and that’s all that matters."
- Erin Foster, creator
Nobody Wants This stars Bell as an honest woman named Joanne who's agnostic, but her world shifts a bit when she meets a set-in-his-ways rabbi named Noah. Here's the show's official synopsis via Netflix:
"Joanne and Noah are an unexpected duo. She’s an outspoken, agnostic woman. He’s an unconventional rabbi. Nobody Wants This charts their unlikely relationship. "
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody lead the cast
Obviously, as mentioned throughout the article, Bell and Brody are the leading stars of Nobody Wants This, but they are joined with a supporting cast full of familiar faces, including Justine Lupe (Succession), who might be playing a version of Foster's actress sister Sara Foster. Joanne and her "quick-witted" sister host a podcast together, according to Netflix. Also in the main cast is Veep favorite Timothy Simons as Noah's "golden child" older brother, who's married with a daughter.
Here's the officially announced cast of the series:
- Kristen Bell as Joanne
- Adam Brody as Noah
- Justine Lupe as Morgan, Joanne's sister
- Timothy Simons as Sasha, Noah's brother
- Jackie Tohn as Ester, Noah's sister-in-law
- Michael Hitchcock as Henry, Joanne's father
- Sherry Cola as Ashley, Joanne's best friend
- Shiloh Bearman as Miriam, Noah's niece
- Stephanie Faracy as Lynn, Joanne's mother
- Tovah Feldshuh as Bina, Noah's mother
- Emily Arlook as Rebecca, Noah's girlfriend
Nobody Wants This trailer
On Aug. 29, exactly four weeks ahead of the Sept. 26 premiere of Nobody Wants This, Netflix released the official first look at the series with the full-length trailer. Featuring the hit pop song "Close to You" by Gracie Abrams, the connection between Joanne and Noah is introduced as they meet and begin to fall for each other. It's a will they or won't they love story that's actually the premise of the show rather than being a byproduct of the storytelling.
Check out the official trailer in the video below!
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