Netflix’s In A Holidaze Film Adaptation Sets Release Date

If you have been keeping an eye on the festive reading stack for the past few years, you will know that romance writing duo Christina Lauren, the pseudonym for authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, delivered one of the most delightfully frantic holiday books in recent memory back in 2020. Now, we finally have a precise date for when their festive time-loop story lands on screen: Netflix has officially slated the film adaptation of In a Holidaze for 2 December 2026.

While we already knew a movie was in the works for the 2026 holiday season, narrowing down the date gives us a clear start to the festive streaming calendar. The project marks the very first feature to come out of a multi-year first-look deal between production company Alloy Entertainment and Netflix, making this a pretty big test run for how the streamer handles cosy romance IP going forward.

Who Is Heading to the Cabin?

Casting for holiday rom-coms is always a delicate balance. You need enough charm to keep the predictable beats feeling fresh, and if you ask me, this ensemble is an intriguing mix. Maddie Ziegler leads the cast alongside Rob Lowe, Graham Phillips, and Elias Kacavas. The supporting cast brings plenty of comedy experience as well, featuring Patton Oswalt, Jackie Sandler, Gil Bellows, Andrea Anders, and Luke Roessler.

Behind the camera, Tiffany Paulsen is handling both writing and directing duties. Paulsen is no stranger to the holiday streaming game, having previously scripted festive features like Holidate, so she knows exactly how to navigate the tropes of seasonal romance. On the producing side, Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton are producing, while Rob Lowe serves as an executive producer.

The authors themselves took to Instagram to share their excitement with readers, promising that fans will get to see all the beloved details from the page come to life, from the main character’s family cabin down to the notably sad-looking Christmas tree. It is always reassuring when authors remain this closely attached to the hype machine, though the real trial will be whether the screen script captures the breezy pacing of the novel.

Groundhog Day Meets Festive Chaos

For anyone who has yet to read the 2020 novel, In a Holidaze follows Maelyn Jones, a directionless twentysomething who finds herself stuck in a rut. She is living back with her parents, working a job that leads nowhere, and spent her annual Christmas vacation at a snowy Utah cabin making a romantic misstep of monumental proportions.

Desperate to fix her life, Maelyn asks the universe for help, only to end up trapped in a holiday time loop. She is forced to relive the same disastrous vacation over and over again until she figures out what actually makes her happy and how to step out of her own way. It is a premise that relies heavily on character chemistry and comedic timing. Time-loop stories can easily feel repetitive on film if the director does not vary the energy, but when they hit the mark, they can rival some of the adaptations that improve on the source material.

The Growing Christina Lauren Screen Pipeline

This release is just the leading edge of what looks like a big screen push for Christina Lauren’s backlist. Beyond this December debut on Netflix, the author pair have several other popular titles currently moving through the development pipeline with various studios.

Their hit 2024 romance The Paradise Problem is currently in development with Rebelle Media, while their beloved 2018 contemporary romance Love and Other Words is being adapted through Magic Hour Entertainment. With major streamers investing heavily in established romance authors, much like recent book-to-screen slates seen across Netflix projects, it feels like romance readers are finally getting the steady pipeline of high-production adaptations they have been asking for.

If you are looking for lighthearted festive book-to-screen features to kick off your December watching, In a Holidaze should be an easy addition to the watchlist. We will be keeping an eye out for the first trailer as we get closer to the December premiere.