Nancy Meyers Says She Was 'Shocked' at 'How Much Christmas' Was inThe Holiday:'I Didn't Think of It That Way'

Mar. 15, 2025

Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law in ‘The Holiday’ in 2006.Photo:Sony Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

Sony Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

Considering it’s currently late-mid December, chances are fans ofThe Holidayhave already watched the 2006 Christmas-set rom-com at least once. The film is right up there withLove ActuallyandThe Muppet Christmas Carolwhen it comes to annual repeat viewings — and it’s entirely possible some of you are actually watching it right now as you read this on your phone!

But this week, writer and directorNancy Meyerssurely burst some holly-jolly bubbles when she told the hosts of theHollywood Goldpodcast that she never sawThe Holidayas a Christmas movie.

“I know it’s calledThe Holidaybecause they’re taking a holiday, but it could have been called that if it was in the summer,” she said. “Everybody sees it as a Christmas movie, and when I watched it last night to prepare, I was a little shocked at how much Christmas was in it.”

Kate Winslet and Nancy Meyers on the set of ‘The Holiday’ in 2006.Zade Rosenthal/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock

Zade Rosenthal/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock

Meyers said she never imagined the film would be one that fans revisit every year. “I didn’t think of it that way,” she explained. “I just really wanted to tell the story about these people. I set it at Christmas because that can be lonely.”

The film follows two heartbroken single women, London-based Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) and L.A.-based Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), who swap houses in an effort to get away for the holidays. While staying at Amanda’s L.A. home, Iris meets and falls for film composter Miles Dumont (Jack Black), while in England, Amanda falls for Iris’s brother Graham (Jude Law).

Meyers said that upon rewatching the film she realized how “damaged” all of her characters were.

“And the holidays seem like a good time to deal with those issues,” she said. “So it was that, not, ‘Hey, I think I’ll make a festive holiday movie.’ Not at all.”

Jude Law and Cameron Diaz in ‘The Holiday’ in 2006.Simon Mein/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock

Simon Mein/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock

They did go seeThe Holiday, however. The film was No. 3 at the U.S. box office on its opening weekend in December 2006, and has gone on to become a Christmas tradition for many fans. In fact, earlier this year, Winslet saidshe is recognized more for the film than she is forTitanic.

“What’s so lovely is that mothers and daughters come up to me in the grocery store and they say, ‘Oh Kate, we just loveThe Holiday, it’s our little ritual at Christmas,’ ” she toldJimmy Fallonduring a February appearance onThe Tonight Show. “They have things that they eat every year, they sit down, it’s a tradition and I just love that. That’s something I never would have expected actually, the sort of mother-daughter connection around a film like that. It’s so nice. It’s lovely.”

Nancy Meyers in April 2024.Presley Ann/Getty

Presley Ann/Getty

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Meanwhile, Law and Meyers have both teased the possibility of a sequel. In June, Law toldE! Newsthathe “love(s) the idea” of a follow-upexploring where Iris, Miles, Graham and Amanda are now, but said fans would have to take their request to Meyers herself.

Then, on Dec. 12, Meyers took to Instagram to shared a video from a recent lunch date with Law in which she asked himwhat he thought about doing a sequel. Rather than answer, theSkeleton Crewstar recreated hisHolidaycharacter’s “Mr. Napkin Head” moment from the film.

source: people.com