Updated

Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 28

Katie Holmes Premieres 'Happy Hours' at Tribeca, Reuniting With Joshua Jackson in Post-COVID Romance

Updated

Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 28

Katie Holmes Premieres 'Happy Hours' at Tribeca, Reuniting With Joshua Jackson in Post-COVID Romance

Q: With 'Happy Hours' getting mixed reviews, is Katie Holmes' planned trilogy already in trouble?

Not necessarily, but the mixed reviews do make the trilogy a harder sell. “Happy Hours” arrived at Tribeca with strong built-in interest because it reunites Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson and taps into post-pandemic themes of loneliness, friendship and second chances. Some reactions praised its vulnerability, adult-romance tone and the pair’s natural chemistry. But other critics were notably cooler, calling the story contrived, the dialogue uneven and the film too slight to justify a larger multi-film arc. That matters because Holmes has openly framed “Happy Hours” as the start of a trilogy inspired by Richard Linklater’s “Before” films. Several reviews specifically questioned that ambition, arguing the first film does not leave enough dramatic momentum or character depth to create strong demand for sequels. In that sense, the plan faces a credibility problem with critics. Still, a trilogy is not automatically doomed by festival reviews alone. Whether it moves forward will depend less on early critical consensus than on financing, distribution, audience response and Holmes’ ability to persuade backers that the Holmes-Jackson pairing has lasting appeal. The cast’s enthusiasm, the nostalgic draw of the reunion and Holmes’ reputation as a collaborative filmmaker all remain assets. So the trilogy is under pressure, not dead. Mixed reviews have weakened the launch, but they have not by themselves shut down Holmes’ plans.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 28

Happy Hours premiered at the Tribeca Festival this month, with Katie Holmes saying the film grew out of the social isolation and emotional disconnection many people have felt since COVID-19.
Holmes said she wants audiences to leave with compassion and hope, while Joshua Jackson framed the story as a reminder that love remains possible and people can still be OK.
Tribeca’s biggest draw was the Holmes-Jackson reunion, with castmates teasing that the former Dawson’s Creek co-stars’ shared history gives the romance a depth “worth the wait.”
Holmes also built the ensemble from her 2024 Broadway production of Our Town, and several cast members praised her as an actor-focused, collaborative director.
The film is part of a planned trilogy Holmes said is inspired by Richard Linklater’s Before movies, widening its focus from a reunion headline to a larger story about connection and reconnection.