Easily, two of the fastest-rising stars right now are Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri. Between the actor leading the highly anticipated Gladiator 2, and the actress going into Season 3 of The Bear, a show she’s won so many awards for, that point has become abundantly clear over the last year. Now, it seems like the two might be starring in a rom-com together, and the internet is convinced it will be for an adaptation of one of Emily Henry’s books after seeing how the author interacted with the actors’ viral St. Patrick’s Day post. And if this rumor proves to be true, I know exactly which story they should be a part of.
Why Fans Think Ayo Edebiri And Paul Mescal Will Star In An Emily Henry Rom-Com
So, here’s the lowdown on how this speculation regarding Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal starring in one of Emily Henry’s upcoming book-to-screen adaptations started: After the actors’ photo took the internet by storm, the best-selling author reposted it on her Instagram story:
That immediately started the speculation, but fans got even more excited when Yulin Kuang, who has been hired to pen the adaptations of both Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation, reposted the image as well, as you can see via @boywthebread post on X:
oh bitch it’s happening pic.twitter.com/9luXAy2DTGMarch 18, 2024
Then, other fans, like @girlflopping, remembered that Tango, the producers of Aftersun (a film Paul Mescal got an Oscar nomination for), are attached to adapt her third book Book Lovers:
wait. hold on. Emily Henry working with the producers of Aftersun which starred Paul Mescal for the Book Lovers movie and then reposting a photo of Paul and Ayo?? I am connecting dots. pic.twitter.com/VGJlEFpSMwMarch 18, 2024
Lastly, fans also remembered that a while back Paul Mescal told Awards Watch that if he were to do a rom-com, he’d want to do one with Ayo Edebiri, saying:
But I think in the next five years I’m going to set myself a challenge to do maybe like a rom-com with Ayo (Edebiri) or something like that would be cool.
All of this put together is cause for a lot of excitement, especially for us Emily Henry fans, as many posted things like:
- emily henry what script is it what are u up to -@skyefiIes
- can’t tell if ayo and paul are starring in people we meet on vacation or beach read but i just realized emily henry should just have them play in both -@shanainparis
- ARE WE FR GETTING THEM IN AN EMILY HENRY MOVIE?!?!?! -@CourtneyColen
- if these two actually will in any form be part of the emily henry cinematic universe … i will become the most annoying person to ever exist -@onlyangel444
Like all these fans, I’m thrilled about all this, and I really hope it’s true. As it stands, it’s possible that Edebiri and Mescal could star in any of the three aforementioned adaptations. However, the one I’m rooting for is People We Meet On Vacation.
I Think They Should Star In The Adaptation Of People We Meet On Vacation
While I think Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri would kill it as any of Emily Henry’s couples, they’re best suited for Alex and Poppy from People We Meet On Vacation, in my humble opinion.
In the friends-to-lovers romance – which is a trope used in one of Paul Mescal’s best projects Normal People – Henry bounces between two timelines, telling the story of Poppy and Alex’s annual vacations and the present where they’re facing the consequences of the last trip they took. Considering both actors are in their late 20s, they’re perfect to play these parts that jump across lots of timelines. Plus, they have the same energy as the leading couple of this bestselling book.
For context, Alex is kind of shy and a homebody, but he’s fully himself around Poppy. Mescal is known for playing quieter thoughtful characters (like Connell in Normal People), and I think he'd kill it as Poppy's love interest. Meanwhile, Poppy is a “wild child” (as the back of the book describes her) travel writer. Looking back on Ayo Edebiri’s best work, we know she has the range to pull off anything. Plus, in real life, she seems to be confident and outgoing as well as incredibly witty. I think she’d be a fantastic fit for Poppy. And most importantly, I think Edebiri and Mescal would be a literal match made in heaven.
Overall, I think People We Meet On Vacation is the perfect rom-com for Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri to be a part of. I can see them now hilariously bantering and flirting on their trip to Palm Springs as they work through their past and complex feelings for each other.
Hopefully, we’ll learn sooner than later if these rumors about them starring in an Emily Henry rom-com are true. In the meantime, I’ll be re-reading People We Meet On Vacation with Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri in mind, and then re-watching them in my favorite projects of theirs, Normal People and The Bear, respectively, with a Hulu subscription.
