Millie Bobby Brown is getting ready to try something a little different at Netflix. After wrapping up Stranger Things and returning for a third time as Enola Holmes, the actress is taking on a romantic comedy titled Non-Refundable. She will star in the film and also produce it, with Jack Innanen, best known for his role in FX’s Adults, joining her as the other lead. The project was first reported by Deadline.
Paul Briganti, who spent six seasons directing Saturday Night Live, is attached to direct the movie. The screenplay comes from David Bernstein, and the premise puts a recently separated couple in a rather awkward situation. Innanen plays Nate, while Brown takes on the role of Dani. The two have broken up, but there’s one problem: they already have a wedding venue reservation in Mexico that can’t be refunded. Instead of simply letting the money go to waste, they decide to take the trip anyway. What follows is a fairly ridiculous competition, with both trying to outdo the other through rebound dates and increasingly petty attempts to prove they’ve moved on.
The film is being produced by PCMA, the company run by Brown and Jake Bongiovi, along with Embrace Entertainment and Speck + Gordon. According to sources cited by Deadline, Netflix sees the project as an opportunity to bring back the kind of romantic comedy that mixes sharp jokes with a little genuine heartbreak. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is reportedly one of the inspirations, while studio executives were particularly taken with Bernstein’s script and its comedic set pieces.
Millie Bobby Brown’s New Rom-Com Embraces the Irony of Ex-Lovers
Non-Refundable gives Brown a chance to move away from the fantasy, sci-fi, and action projects that have largely defined her career so far. Most viewers still associate her with Eleven in Stranger Things, but she’s also built a successful run as Enola Holmes and appeared in Netflix’s action fantasy Damsel. Comedy isn’t entirely new territory for her, though. Netflix executives reportedly took notice of her performance in Just Picture It, another upcoming romantic comedy in which she stars opposite Gabriel LaBelle.
Jack Innanen’s casting also gives a good idea of the kind of comedy Netflix is aiming for. He has been getting attention for FX’s Adults, a sitcom about a group of young people trying to figure out their lives, and also appeared alongside Dan Levy in Netflix’s Big Mistakes. Briganti has worked with Innanen before on several episodes of Adults. His background includes Saturday Night Live, CollegeHumor, and other television comedy projects, so the director and lead actor already have some experience working together.
The film is another addition to Brown’s growing list of Netflix projects. Her latest Enola Holmes 3 reportedly pulled in more than 20 million views during its first five days, according to Deadline, and she is also set to appear alongside David Harbour in a father-daughter spy thriller. With Non-Refundable, she’s taking a break from mysteries and action-heavy stories for something centred on the messy business of getting over an ex. And, as the premise suggests, neither Nate nor Dani seems particularly good at letting the other move on.
