Airports have witnessed several hellos and goodbyes in real life, but in rom-coms, they have famously served as a backdrop for reconciliation and new love. Whatever the scenario may be — characters having a meet-cute moment, hopping on a plane together, or missing a flight — airports offer ample opportunities for romantic and dreamy moments that rom-com fans love to see. Indeed, if romantic-comedies set in an airport is something you love, then the upcoming Meg Ryan movie, What Happens Later, is just for you.
What Happens Later effectively marks Ryan's return to the big screen after an eight-year hiatus from acting. Also starring David Duchovny, the film is based on the play, Shooting Star, by Steven Dietz, and sees ex-lovers Willa and Bill (Ryan and Duchovny, respectively) crossing paths at a regional airport, where they are unfortunately stuck as a result of delayed flights. With nothing else to do, the pair use their time to reflect on their past relationships, recall good memories, and wonder if things between them could have been different. The question remains: will this coincidental meeting result in a completion of their love story, or will they go their separate ways?
Here's your cast and character guide to What Happens Later.
Meg Ryan as Willa
Meg Ryan portrays Willa in What Happens Later. In the film, Willa runs into her former lover, Bill, at the airport. Amidst their banter-filled reunion, an announcement is made, warning them that their respective flights to Boston and Austin are delayed due to a snowstorm, thus stranding them in the terminal. Described as a "magical thinker," Willa wonders if their reunion is mere coincidence or a cosmic sign of the beginning of something magical.
Ryan got her start in soap operas and TV commercials while studying journalism in college. After she dropped out to pursue an acting career full-time, she earned her first film role in George Cukar's Rich and Famous. Eventually, Ryan would become an undisputed rom-com queen, appearing in classics of the genre like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail, among many others. What's more, she made her directorial debut with Ithaca. What Happens Later marks her second time in the director's chair.
David Duchovny as Bill
David Duchovny plays Bill in What Happens Later, who is described as a "catastrophic thinker" and has a tendency to think of the worst outcome possible. He is trapped at the airport with his ex-lover Willa, and, as the night progresses, opens up about their shared past and feelings that he had for her following their years-long breakup (as seen in the film's first trailer).
In 1988, Duchovny stepped into Hollywood in a small role in the romantic comedy movie, Working Girl. As his career progressed, he mostly worked in rom-com and dramedy movies like Beethoven, Chaplin, House of D, Zoolander, Return to Me, Julia has Two Lovers, and many others. That said, Duchovny is best-known for his role as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in The X-files, a television series that ran from 1993 to 2002 and was rebooted in 2016 (running until 2018). Other notable credits include: Life with Bonnie, Californication, The Larry Sanders Show, Aquarius, and Red Shoe Diaries.
Meg Ryan's Long-Awaited Return
If you're wondering why there is a lot of excitement around Ryan's return in What Happens Later, it's because the actress is a staple figure in the romantic comedy genre. In addition to her eight-year hiatus — Ithaca was her last on-screen role in 2015 — it has been 15 years since she starred in a rom-com, 2008's My Mom's New Boyfriend being her last. In a recent interview with Los Angeles Times, Ryan opened up about her decision to take a break from acting, citing acting as just "a job and not a lifestyle." Indeed, she wanted to grow as a person and focus on other facets of her life, using this period in her life to spend quality time with her two children, Jack Quaid and Daisy True Ryan.
Before her extended break, Ryan reunited with her frequent collaborator Tom Hanks and cast her son Jack Quaid in Ithaca. Based on the novel The Human Comedy, the movie revolved around a 14-year-old boy named Homer Macauley, who aspires to become the best telegraph messenger in town, until one devastating message during World War II becomes the most difficult one for him to convey. Ithaca marked Ryan's directorial debut, and though it was critically panned, it hinted at her potential behind the camera.
What Happens Later arrives in theaters on November 3.
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