Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him Film Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers Bring Emotional Depth to Screen
People magazine reveals the first look at Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, directed by Vanessa Caswill and starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers in a story of love, grief, and second chances.
Los Angeles, October 20 EST: The first look at Colleen Hoover’s long-awaited film adaptation of Reminders of Him is finally here, and with it, the early pulse of what could become one of 2026’s most emotional romantic dramas. People magazine unveiled the exclusive first photos Monday, offering a glimpse into the tender and turbulent world of Kenna Rowan and Ledger Ward, played by Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers respectively.
A New Chapter for Colleen Hoover on Screen
Adapted from Hoover’s 2022 bestselling novel, Reminders of Him follows Kenna, a young mother re-entering society after a prison sentence and fighting to reconnect with her daughter. Filmed in Calgary, Alberta, and directed by Vanessa Caswill (Little Women, Thirteen), the movie marks a significant step in Hoover’s growing footprint as both an author and producer.
According to People, Hoover partnered with Lauren Levine under their Heartbones Entertainment banner, ensuring the adaptation stays “faithful to the story’s core.” The author told the outlet that preserving the emotional DNA of the book was her top priority. “The pain, the hope, the forgiveness it’s all there,” she said.
The film, distributed by Columbia/Universal, is slated to hit U.S. theaters on March 13, 2026, following a brief delay from earlier projections.
Maika Monroe Breaks Out of Horror and Into Heartache
For Maika Monroe, known for her chilling turns in It Follows and Watcher, Reminders of Him represents a sharp turn into emotionally grounded territory. “I really wanted to try something totally different,” she told People. “I’ve been in the horror space for so long, and this felt like a 180-degree turn.”
In the film’s first stills, Monroe’s Kenna looks fragile but determined a woman piecing together a broken life while confronting the people she hurt. The film’s muted tones and intimate camera work hint at Caswill’s grounded approach, favoring realism over romantic gloss.
For Monroe, this emotional rawness was the draw. “There’s no monster here except the ones we create in ourselves,” she reportedly said during filming.
Tyriq Withers Finds Depth in Vulnerability
Tyriq Withers, best known for roles in Atlanta and The Game, steps into the role of Ledger, a local bar owner who becomes Kenna’s unexpected lifeline. Withers admitted the part felt “scary” in ways action or comedy never had. “This is the scariest one to have made,” he said, “because you’re living in that vulnerability and that honesty of real life romance, love, grief, forgiveness, empathy.”
Their chemistry, already teased in the first promo stills, is at the heart of the film’s emotional architecture. Early crew accounts suggest Caswill leaned on improvisation and long takes to capture that fragile connection.
Filming in Calgary and a Real-World Lens
Principal photography wrapped earlier this year in Calgary, which doubled for the story’s small-town American setting. The region’s subdued winter palette reportedly helped Caswill ground the film’s tone natural light, wide-open roads, and a visual motif of isolation and renewal.
Production insiders describe the shoot as tight-knit and emotionally charged. “It wasn’t a big studio circus,” one crew member told Deadline back in April. “It was a small, heartfelt project and that’s exactly how Colleen wanted it.”
Hoover’s Expanding Screen Universe
Reminders of Him marks another key entry in Hoover’s growing adaptation portfolio, following the success of her It Ends with Us franchise and the upcoming Verity film now in pre-production. Industry observers say Hoover’s storytelling emotionally intense yet accessible has made her books catnip for studios seeking romance-driven box office hits.
For Columbia/Universal, this latest project fits squarely into the studio’s pivot toward mid-budget adult dramas anchored by bestselling IP. Hoover’s audience, spanning TikTok readers to book club circles, virtually guarantees a built-in fan base.
A Story of Forgiveness and Second Chances
At its heart, Reminders of Him is about atonement, a theme Hoover says she wanted to handle “without varnish.” Kenna’s journey haunted by guilt but sustained by the possibility of redemption feels familiar to Hoover readers who favor emotional authenticity over escapism.
“I think audiences will recognize themselves in these moments,” Hoover said in the People interview. “It’s not about perfect people. It’s about people trying to forgive themselves enough to love again.”
The Marketing Push Begins
The release of these first-look photos signals a new phase of marketing for the film, which insiders say is now deep in post-production. With the March 2026 release window locked, fans can expect a teaser trailer by early winter, possibly aligned with holiday releases to capture the romance audience.
Public reaction so far remains limited to social buzz surrounding People’s exclusive reveal and reposts by Withers, who praised Monroe and Hoover on Instagram for “making the most honest project” he’s ever worked on.
A Test for Genre Crossover
For Monroe, Reminders of Him could mark her first mainstream romance lead and a test of her crossover appeal beyond psychological thrillers. For Withers, the film could establish him as a serious dramatic actor. And for Hoover, it’s another test of how faithfully her emotionally charged novels can transition from page to screen.
Still, industry insiders say the project’s quiet intensity may set it apart from the flashier Hoover adaptations on the way. As The Hollywood Reporter noted earlier this year, Caswill’s “humanistic lens” and Hoover’s close involvement could yield a subtler, more intimate result than fans expect.
For now, Hoover’s fans will have to wait until next spring to see if the film captures the ache and grace that made the book a bestseller. But from the early glimpses, Reminders of Him seems poised to deliver on its title lingering long after the credits roll.
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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.
