Summer rom‑com alert
Focus Features just locked a U.S. theatrical date for Finding Emily — look for it in cinemas on Aug. 28. The film’s already got a U.K. release set for May, and Working Title is behind the whole thing, so expect a properly charming British-flavored rom‑com energy.
The premise (adorably accidental)
At its core: a lovestruck musician gets a wrong number for the woman of his dreams and enlists a driven psychology student to help track her down. It’s the kind of mix-up-makes-magic setup that riffs on classic rom‑com beats while promising a few fresh detours.
Who’s running the show
This is Alicia MacDonald’s feature directorial debut, working from a script by Rachel Hirons. Producers include Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner alongside Olivier Kaempfer of Parkville Pictures — names that usually mean a mix of heart, laughs and polished production values.
The cast to keep an eye on
Angourie Rice leads the charge — she’s no stranger to big screens after her MCU turn as Betty Brant and recent gigs in Mean Girls and The Last Thing He Told Me. Spike Fearn co-stars; he’s been turning heads in films like Aftersun and Alien: Romulus and has a juicy-looking role coming up opposite Liam Neeson. Minnie Driver rounds out the principal cast, adding veteran charm.
Why this might click
With Working Title attached and nods to the warm, slightly awkward rom‑coms we love, Finding Emily looks built to be a crowd-pleaser. Expect wink‑and‑smile humor, an earnest central quest, and that satisfying mix of sweet and silly that gets theaters humming.
What else Focus has cooking
Finding Emily joins a busy slate at Focus, which also has everything from folkloric chills to high-concept docs on the roster — think Robert Eggers’ Werwulf, Paul Greengrass’ The Uprising, a new take on Sense and Sensibility, Hayley Kiyoko’s feature debut, and a philosophical documentary about AI with a cheeky title.
The takeaway
If you like your rom‑coms with a dash of serendipity and a lot of heart, put Aug. 28 on your calendar. This one smells of cozy chaos, lovable losers, and a meetup that was meant to be… if the wrong number cooperates.