Netflix has revealed a first look at Happiness for Beginners, the movie adaptation of the Katherine Center novel (buy now at Amazon) of the same name. You can scroll down to view all the photos.
Written and directed by Vicky Wight, Happiness for Beginners will debut on the streaming service on July 27, 2023.
In the film, Helen (Ellie Kemper) has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Finding herself newly divorced and a little lost, Helen decides she needs a reset and signs up for the “Adventure of a Lifetime!”
The adventure is a backcountry survival course hiking the Appalachian Trail with a group of oddball strangers. From the beginning, Helen’s plan to be the best hiker is tested and she finds more than just herself in the wilderness.
Based on the wildly popular novel, Happiness for Beginners reminds us that sometimes you have to get lost before you’re found.
The cast also includes Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, Benjamin Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Esteban Benito, and Julia Shiplett.
The producers are Geoff Linville, Berry Meyerowitz, and Vicky Wight. The movie’s executive producers include Katherine Center, Jeff Sackman, and Larry Greenberg.
“I thought it was such a well-told story of one woman’s experience in getting to know herself better,” Ellie Kemper told Netflix’s Tudum. “I was immediately excited about the prospect of playing a woman whose outlook on life, when we first meet her, isn’t so sunny. I’ve played a lot of optimistic rubes, and Helen was neither.”
Wight added: “The cast was an absolute dream and they all became good friends during our shoot. Not only did everyone shine individually but each actor was an exceptionally generous and inventive scene partner.
“They were improvisational and trusting with one another and me, which added so much chemistry on-screen. Ellie and Luke really set a lovely, inclusive tone and they were both a joy from start to finish.”
“Katherine is the perfect novelist when it comes to adaptation because she’s hands off,” Wight said about the author. “She understands that the novel can’t go word-for-word on-screen so she’s very supportive about the process of reshaping the story while keeping the integrity of her source material.
“There’s a reason novels are credited as ‘based on’ or ‘inspired by’ when they’re adapted, and Katherine truly gets it.”
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.