Apple TV+ Unwraps ‘The Holiday’ Limited Series
Kai Montgomery here, the Grumpy Guru, reluctantly reporting that nostalgia has won again. This time Hollywood is dusting off Nancy Meyers’ 2006 rom-com The Holiday and stretching it into a limited series for Apple TV+—because apparently two hours of comfort wasn’t enough.
Multiple outlets confirmed on August 1 that the streaming giant has greenlit a fresh take on the beloved film starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black. Instead of reuniting the original cast, the new show will follow an entirely different pair of single women—one American, one British—who swap homes for Christmas, just like in Meyers’ movie. Production insiders told E! News that fans should expect the same cozy vibes but with modern twists.
Nancy Meyers herself won’t be writing or directing this time. Instead, Rob Delaney—best known for his razor-sharp humor—signs on as a writer alongside Krissie Ducker (Sweetpea, The Assassin), who will also serve as executive producer. E! News has reached out to Apple TV+ for comment and has not yet heard back, so specifics remain sparse.
While the streaming series goes forward, whispers of an actual film sequel haven’t died down. In December, Jude Law told E! News, “Of course I would,” when asked if he’d return for another installment. He praised Meyers’ signature style—“that world she creates,” he said—and joked that any follow-up “would have to be set around the most wonderful time of the year.”
Cameron Diaz added her own insights to Vulture in 2020, explaining why Meyers’ sets feel like genuine homes. She marveled at “lots of textures, lots of layers,” and admitted that walking onto the The Holiday set “made you forget about lighting and cameras.” Clearly, the original team still treasures every wreath and cozy throw pillow.
Here are some festive facts to tide you over while we wait for casting news:
Director Nancy Meyers originally wrote the leads Iris and Amanda with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in mind. “You can’t help but fantasize about who is going to be in it,” Meyers told ComingSoon.Net. Casting Winslet was practically a no-brainer—Meyers admitted, “If you’re writing a 30-year-old British woman, you think of Kate Winslet.”
Winslet herself confessed to About.com in 2006 that she was terrified she’d be fired for not being funny enough. Before cameras rolled, she and Law would swap voicemails fretting, “They’re going to recast us!”
As for Diaz, Meyers cast her for the irrepressible spirit she would bring to a trailer editor who never sheds a tear. “Cameron is a great comedienne,” Meyers said, adding that once Diaz was on board “she continued to thicken the plot with her own flair.”
No release date or casting details have been revealed yet, but one thing is certain: executives are determined to bottle that Meyers magic once more. What could possibly go wrong?
And that, dear reader, is why letting go sometimes feels like the best holiday gift.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Vulture, ComingSoon.Net, About.com
Attribution: Zade Rosenthal (Creative Commons)
