Meg Ryan's Rom-Com Return Delayed to Avoid Competing with Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Film
'What Happens Later,' also starring David Duchovny, will now open three weeks later on Nov. 3
Movie fans will have to wait a bit longer for Meg Ryan's much-anticipated return to the romantic-comedy genre after more than a decade.
Bleecker Street announced Friday that the release date for What Happens Later, which Ryan, 61, both stars in and directs, has been pushed back by three weeks to avoid competing with Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert film, which premieres exclusively in AMC theaters on Oct. 13. What Happens Later, also starring David Duchovny, will now open Nov. 3.
This follows Universal's announcement on Thursday that the horror flick The Exorcist: Believer, also previously scheduled to debut Oct. 13, will move up its opening to Oct. 6.
"So we'll take our time...Are you ready for it? Meg Ryan ends her 14-year rom-com hiatus and the #Megaissance begins with #WhatHappensLater, now happening...later. Coming only to theaters November 3!" Bleecker Street wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, retweeting Swift's own announcement about her concert film.
It's no surprise that movie studios are apprehensive about a face-off with the "Anti-Hero" singer, 33. AMC previously revealed that Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour set a single-day ticket sales record Thursday with a staggering $26 million, thanks to the pop star's legions of die-hard Swifties. The film surpassed previous record holder Spider-Man: No Way Home, which earned $16.9 million in a single day, per AMC.
Due to the unprecedented demand, AMC said it's adding additional showtimes for the film, which is set to run until at least Nov. 5.
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Ryan recently opened up about her newest project, saying she's "proud" of her work in the rom-com, about a former couple who unexpectedly reunites after decades apart when a snowstorm leaves them stranded at the airport. The story is based on Steven Dietz's play Shooting Star.
Related: Meg Ryan's Comeback Rom-Com Is 'a Throwback Sweet Film,' Teases Costar David Duchovny: (Exclusive)
"Truly, the easiest part was acting in it. I want to direct again just so I can sit in the chair, because I’m sure there’s a lot of things I missed. I hadn’t done a role in a really long time, but it was fun with David," Ryan told Carol Burnett in a conversation for Interview magazine. "A lot of it was done in two shots. I’m proud of that."
She added, "I set up everything beforehand so that once we were there, it was just David and I trying to tell the truth."
Ryan, whose last role was in 2015's Ithaca, said that she and Duchovny, 63, had "only met a couple of times, maybe 20 years ago," but she knew he'd be perfect for the role in What Happens Later.
"He’s really smart and he’s such a unique kind of funny that we all thought he would be so perfect for Bill," she told Burnett, 90, who called the chemistry between the pair "absolute magic."
Related: All About Meg Ryan's Upcoming Romantic Comedy with David Duchovny 'What Happens Later'
"It's just been really fun to see David embrace this guy who I don't think is anything really like David," Ryan told Entertainment Weekly of Duchovny's portrayal of his character Bill, a chronic worrier who suffers from "anticipatory anxiety."
"To see him dive into every single scene in the fullest way, he's funny, and he's smart, and he's dear, and irresistible," she added.
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