Meg Ryan Returns to Rom-Coms as Star, Writer, and Director with 'What Happens Later' After 8-Year Hiatus

'What Happens Later', her tribute to Nora Ephron, premieres this Friday after a three-year journey from script to screen.

Meg Ryan is returning to romantic comedies with 'What Happens Later', a film she stars in, directed, and co-wrote. This film marks her return after an eight-year hiatus.
'What Happens Later' follows the story of ex-lovers, played by Ryan and David Duchovny, reuniting and getting snowed in at an airport 20 years after their last encounter.
Ryan has dedicated the film to the late Nora Ephron, and it features many hallmarks of Ephron's style, echoing a spirit of magical reality, destiny, and larger forces at work.
Prior to Ephron's death in 2012, Ryan and Ephron had discussed collaborating on another film, centered around the story of red hawks in Central Park. While this plan did not pan out, elements of their shared love for the genre can be traced in 'What Happens Later'.
During her hiatus, Ryan moved out of Los Angeles and took time off Hollywood life, focusing on personal growth and expanding her experiences outside of the acting persona. She returns with a renewed creative perspective for 'What Happens Later'.