Blab Entertainment
Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes Reunite for Happy Hours Trilogy Debut at Tribeca 2026
After more than two decades, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes step back onto the same screen, this time as co‑stars in a romantic dramedy that will launch a planned trilogy. The 47‑year‑old actors, who first shared a love story on the set of Dawson’s Creek, reunite in a film written and directed by Holmes that follows a couple weighing whether a fizzled connection is worth a second chance.
Happy Hours centers on the couple’s falling‑in‑love phase, the first of three stages that Holmes said were “written for the two of us.” The tight, intimate production focused on the characters’ emotional arc, a creative choice that echoes the actors’ history of exploring nuanced relationships.
The movie opened at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, where Jackson and Holmes made a red‑carpet appearance that felt almost like a callback to their earlier chemistry from the 1998‑2003 teen drama. Their moment on the carpet was captured by the festival’s media, and it was clear that the pair’s on‑screen rapport still carries the spark that once defined Dawson’s Creek.
Production began in summer 2025, with the duo spotted filming in Manhattan on July 21. According to production staff, the shoot was a “tight, intimate production” that emphasized the emotional journey of the story. The first installment of the trilogy is set to explore the couple’s falling‑in‑love phase, a narrative that Holmes framed as the beginning of a three‑part love story.
In a clip shared on Sunday, June 7, Jackson told reporters at Tribeca that the time he spent with Holmes “when we were young is very precious to both of us.” He described their relationship as “one of the core personal and professional relationships in my life” and praised Holmes for creating a “beautiful space” for their return to the screen. “A hopeful story, a real human story,” he added. “I was both flattered and very excited to have the opportunity to come back and share this space with you after all of these years.” Jackson called the experience magical, noting that Holmes wrote the film “for us” and took on the entire creative process.
Holmes, in a separate clip posted the same day, emphasized the sanctity of their working relationship. “I take it very seriously and I want to do right by Josh,” she said. “I have a great deal of respect. So I wanted it to be right. We’ve often talked about doing something again, but we never knew what. So it was really about that and agreeing to go for it, I suppose.” She added that Jackson’s affirmative response made her feel “very good.”
The actors first met on the set of Dawson’s Creek, where Jackson played Pacey Witter and Holmes portrayed Joey Potter. The series ran from 1998 to 2003 and ended with the characters of Pacey and Joey romantically involved. Off‑screen, Jackson and Holmes dated for about a year after the show’s debut, and their friendship has endured ever since. The new project marks the first time they have shared a camera frame together in a professional capacity.
Industry observers note that the Happy Hours trilogy represents a shift toward character‑driven storytelling. Holmes, who previously directed All We Had (2016) and Alone Together (2022), now writes and directs, aligning with a broader trend of actors taking creative control. Jackson, known for Fringe and The Affair, has expressed interest in projects that explore nuanced relationships.
The film premiered as part of Tribeca’s 25th‑anniversary lineup, an event that drew an estimated 150,000 attendees and highlighted independent voices. Happy Hours debuted at the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s BMCC Theater, where the cast and crew were photographed on the red carpet. The release schedule for the remaining two installments has not yet been announced. The first film is expected to hit theaters in late 2026, with a streaming window to follow. Holmes’s production company is producing the project.
In short, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes have reunited for the first time in a professional setting with the romantic dramedy Happy Hours, a film that will launch a trilogy exploring the complexities of a rekindled relationship. Written and directed by Holmes, the movie premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and was filmed in New York City in July 2025, underscoring the enduring appeal of their earlier collaboration on Dawson’s Creek and signaling a new chapter in their careers.
Happy Hours centers on the couple’s falling‑in‑love phase, the first of three stages that Holmes said were “written for the two of us.” The tight, intimate production focused on the characters’ emotional arc, a creative choice that echoes the actors’ history of exploring nuanced relationships.
The movie opened at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, where Jackson and Holmes made a red‑carpet appearance that felt almost like a callback to their earlier chemistry from the 1998‑2003 teen drama. Their moment on the carpet was captured by the festival’s media, and it was clear that the pair’s on‑screen rapport still carries the spark that once defined Dawson’s Creek.
Production began in summer 2025, with the duo spotted filming in Manhattan on July 21. According to production staff, the shoot was a “tight, intimate production” that emphasized the emotional journey of the story. The first installment of the trilogy is set to explore the couple’s falling‑in‑love phase, a narrative that Holmes framed as the beginning of a three‑part love story.
In a clip shared on Sunday, June 7, Jackson told reporters at Tribeca that the time he spent with Holmes “when we were young is very precious to both of us.” He described their relationship as “one of the core personal and professional relationships in my life” and praised Holmes for creating a “beautiful space” for their return to the screen. “A hopeful story, a real human story,” he added. “I was both flattered and very excited to have the opportunity to come back and share this space with you after all of these years.” Jackson called the experience magical, noting that Holmes wrote the film “for us” and took on the entire creative process.
Holmes, in a separate clip posted the same day, emphasized the sanctity of their working relationship. “I take it very seriously and I want to do right by Josh,” she said. “I have a great deal of respect. So I wanted it to be right. We’ve often talked about doing something again, but we never knew what. So it was really about that and agreeing to go for it, I suppose.” She added that Jackson’s affirmative response made her feel “very good.”
The actors first met on the set of Dawson’s Creek, where Jackson played Pacey Witter and Holmes portrayed Joey Potter. The series ran from 1998 to 2003 and ended with the characters of Pacey and Joey romantically involved. Off‑screen, Jackson and Holmes dated for about a year after the show’s debut, and their friendship has endured ever since. The new project marks the first time they have shared a camera frame together in a professional capacity.
Industry observers note that the Happy Hours trilogy represents a shift toward character‑driven storytelling. Holmes, who previously directed All We Had (2016) and Alone Together (2022), now writes and directs, aligning with a broader trend of actors taking creative control. Jackson, known for Fringe and The Affair, has expressed interest in projects that explore nuanced relationships.
The film premiered as part of Tribeca’s 25th‑anniversary lineup, an event that drew an estimated 150,000 attendees and highlighted independent voices. Happy Hours debuted at the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s BMCC Theater, where the cast and crew were photographed on the red carpet. The release schedule for the remaining two installments has not yet been announced. The first film is expected to hit theaters in late 2026, with a streaming window to follow. Holmes’s production company is producing the project.
In short, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes have reunited for the first time in a professional setting with the romantic dramedy Happy Hours, a film that will launch a trilogy exploring the complexities of a rekindled relationship. Written and directed by Holmes, the movie premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and was filmed in New York City in July 2025, underscoring the enduring appeal of their earlier collaboration on Dawson’s Creek and signaling a new chapter in their careers.
