Wish You Were Here marks the directorial debut of Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance) based on the best-selling novel by Renée Carlino. Stiles, who many of you might know best for her work in The Bourne Identity, also co-wrote the film alongside Carlino.
The movie stars Isabelle Fuhrman (The Novice, Orphan), Mena Massoud (Aladdin, The Royal Treatment), Jimmie Fails (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Borderline), Gabby Kono-Abdy (Baker’s Dozen, Nighthawks), and two bona fide Hollywood icons in Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier).
We recently had the opportunity to talk to Isabelle, Mena, and Gabby about a movie that's both heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. A phenomenal debut for Stiles as a filmmaker, the trio talk us through what it was like bringing her vision to life and leaning on a fellow actor for support.
They also take a deep dive into the dynamic between their respective characters, while Gabby opens up on what it was like not only playing one of Wish You Were Here's standouts but also producing a movie she optioned the rights to several years ago.
You can watch the full interview with Isabelle, Mena, and Gabby in the player below.
0:03 - What it meant helping bring Julia's vision to life and how important it was to have a fellow actor as director
2:20 - What Isabelle and Mena enjoyed most about exploring the dynamic between their characters
4:37 - The fun Isabelle and Gabby had working with Kelsey Grammer and Jennifer Grey
5:54 - What it was like for Mena to explore Adam's journey and how harrowing those scenes were
8:15 - What drew Gabby to Helen as both an actor and the movie's producer
Julia Stiles makes her directorial debut in a brilliantly warm and romantic film based on the bestselling novel, Wish You Were Here. Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer star in a fascinating movie about leaving the everyday world behind to take a chance on true romance. When the perfect night with a perfect stranger ends suddenly the next morning, Charlotte searches for answers and meaning in her disappointing life until she uncovers a secret that changes everything.
Wish You Were Here arrives in theaters on January 17, 2025.