Julia Roberts is attempting to downplay expectations for her latest feature Ticket to Paradise, by joking there’s no way it can turn out good. The film is being hailed as a return to form for the illustrious career of Roberts, who was once the highest-paid female actor in Hollywood.

The 54-year-old was one of the most bankable names in the entire industry throughout the 90s and early 00s. Collecting the Academy Award for Erin Brockovich and two further nominations for Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman, respectively, and of course, the aforementioned $25 million paycheck for Mona Lisa Smile.

Her career has cooled off in the past decade, however, with arguably her last great performance coming in 2013’s August: Osage County. But there is a lot of hype surrounding Ticket to Paradise, which marks several significant milestones for Roberts, including a return to starring in a rom-com, where she first found stardom, for the first time in two decades and a reunion with fellow box office star George Clooney.

As well as working as a producer on August: Osage County, Clooney has starred alongside Roberts in several box office hits, including Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and the Ocean’s 11 series. The pair have proven chemistry on-screen, so fans have high hopes of seeing them work together once more.

Speaking to Variety at the Cannes Film Festival, Roberts joked that the film had so much promise it was surely doomed to fail:

“[It has] too much potential for it to be great. I think it’s so funny and George is so funny, and George and I together, it’s probably going to be terrible because there’s too much potential for it to be great, it’ll just implode on it itself, I think that should be the commercial for the movie: It’s probably going to be terrible.”

What is Ticket to Paradise About?

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Touchstone Pictures

Ticket to Paradise flips the script on some of the iconic roles Roberts played in her youth, with the seasoned actress taking on the role of a responsible parent. Kaitlyn Dever plays the couple’s daughter, who falls head over heels in love with a man she just met in Bali.

The couple attempts to elope, forcing Roberts to team up with her ex-husband (Clooney) and fly to the Indonesian province with the intent of stopping their daughter from repeating the same mistake they made 25 years ago. And if rom-coms have taught us anything, then the couple is likely to rediscover why they fell in love with each other in the first place along the way.

It’s an interesting subversion of the roles both actors were known for earlier in their careers and has a lot of promise to strike a poignant chord with fans of those original classics. With writer/director Ol Parker at the helm (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Mamma Mia Here We Go Again) the film has certainly generated a lot of pre-release buzz despite Roberts’ efforts.

Ticket to Paradise is set for release in cinemas nationwide on October 21st, with an exclusive Peacock streaming release scheduled for 45 days later.