Minka Kelly Returns to the Spotlight with Netflix’s Parisian Rom-Com Champagne Problems
The Friday Night Lights star swaps Texas grit for Parisian sparkle in Netflix’s new holiday romance and fans are already raising a glass.
Los Angeles, October 15 EST: Minka Kelly has found her rom-com groove again. Took her long enough. Netflix dropped the trailer for Champagne Problems this morning, and it’s already stirring up the kind of chatter you can’t fake the “wait, this actually looks fun” kind.
She’s playing Sydney Price, a high-powered dealmaker who flies to France to buy a family-run champagne house. You can probably guess what happens. There’s a vineyard, a stubborn heir, one too many heart-to-heart talks under string lights. But here’s the thing it looks good. Glossy, but not hollow.
People had the exclusive and fans jumped in fast. One tweet just said, “This is Minka’s movie, period.” That’s the tone online not ironic, just kind of delighted. New York Post called the pairing between Kelly and co-star Tom Wozniczka “spicy,” which feels about right.
The film lands on Netflix November 19. Just in time for blanket-weather and low-effort happiness. Instead of another snow-covered small town, Champagne Problems gives us Paris. Wide shots, candlelight, all that romantic nonsense that still works because, well, it’s Paris.
Director Mark Steven Johnson keeps the mood light. The cast Flula Borg, Xavier Samuel adds a bit of playfulness around the edges. They actually filmed in France, and you can tell. The countryside looks unreal.
What makes this more than just another Netflix holiday drop is Kelly herself. She’s not playing it cute or coy; she’s relaxed. A little older, a little more grounded. You can feel it. After Friday Night Lights and the big-budget detours like Titans, she seems ready for something smaller but more her.
Netflix has this down to a science by now the warm-and-fizzy lane where everything’s a little predictable but still satisfying. Champagne Problems fits that lane, but it feels like it’s winking back. It’s aware of the formula, doesn’t care, just goes for charm.
There’s a moment in the trailer Kelly holding a champagne flute, pausing, half-smiling like she’s realizing something mid-sip that says everything. It’s small, unflashy, and totally human.
No big declarations here, just the feeling that maybe we missed this kind of movie. The easy kind. Pretty people, good lighting, soft music, emotional stakes that don’t ruin your week.
Minka Kelly looks right at home in that world. And if Netflix plays its cards right, Champagne Problems could be the one everyone keeps on their “comfort rewatch” list next winter.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
