There are two films about double-booked rentals coming out in September. While one is a horror film, the other is a romantic comedy. The new Netflix film Love in the Villa follows Julie (Kat Graham) as she goes on a trip to Verona, Italy, after being dumped by her boyfriend (Raymond Ablack). What was meant to be a romantic getaway with him turns into a chance to be on her own. Only, it's ruined when she gets to her rental and discovers it was double booked.
Deadline announced Kat Graham as one of two leads in the film in September 2021. Mark Steven Johnson wrote and directed the film, which did actually film in Verona. Johnson worked on another Netflix rom-com movie, Love, Guaranteed, which debuted in 2020. The director is a producer alongside Margret H. Huddleston (Love, Guaranteed) and Stephanie Slack (Dangerous Lies).
Pack your bags for Italy as we detail what you need to know about Love in the Villa.
Love in the Villa: The Plot
Going to Italy sounds like an amazing vacation, especially when you're going with your long-term boyfriend. However, a breakup right before a planned trip can put a damper on things. Julie, a schoolteacher, decides to go on the trip alone after her boyfriend Brandon dumps her right before they leave. After a difficult flight and a wild ride in a "Uberto," she arrives at the Airbnb she rented, only to find that the owner has booked someone else in it.
She and her rental roommate, Charlie (Tom Hopper), do not get along at all. They set traps to try and make the other leave, including using superglue in a keyhole and luring cats into the apartment. They have a food fight that results in a pretty large piece of pecorino cheese flying out the window and the police being called.
By the end of the film, it seems like they will grow to tolerate, and potentially even love, each other during their stay, with Julie taking him on a tour of the city. But, it won't be without issues. Exclusive photos from Entertainment Weekly seemingly show her ex in Italy with another woman. He must've thought she wouldn't go on the trip after their breakup. It looks like she and Charlie run into them at a restaurant, which could be the start of their relationship if they pretended to be together in front of her ex.
Love in the Villa: The Cast
Kat Graham is Julie, a teacher trying to get over heartbreak in Italy. Many will know the actress from her role as Bonnie in The CW's The Vampire Diaries (which she has no plans to return to), but she has done quite a bit with Netflix since then. She previously starred in Operation Christmas Drop and The Holiday Calendar, two holiday-themed romantic comedies with the streamer.
Tom Hopper is Charlie, the British man who booked the same rental property. One of his most popular projects, which also happens to be from Netflix, is The Umbrella Academy. His other major projects include Merlin, Black Sails, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Raymond Ablack plays Brandon, Julie's ex-boyfriend. The actor currently has a main role in the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia as Joe, the owner of a café. He is also known for his work in Narcos, Shadowhunters, Maid, and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Laura Hopper, Tom Hopper's wife, plays Cassie. Her other projects include The Umbrella Academy and Doctors.
Additional cast members include Emilio Solfrizzi as Silvio, the gentleman that double books the rental, Sean Amsing as Roberto, Lorenzo Lazzarini as Uberto, and Hélène Cardona, Peter Arpesella, Katie McGovern, Atikur Rahman Mahi, Stefano Skalkotos, Andrea Bellacicco, and Saverio Sculli in additional roles.
Release Date
Love in the Villa will be available to stream starting September 1, 2022.
Everything Else We Know
Graham was particularly drawn to the role because she had similar experiences. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she discusses the similarities between herself and Julie, down to the name of their ex-partner and how much she loved Verona before taking on the project.
"Verona was already my favorite place in the world, which is also really strange. I had had a break-up and we got back together in Verona. And then two years later, I get this film. My ex-fiance's name, he went by Brandon. I don't even call it a wink from God. It was more like a like an aggressive shove."
The actress was so much like the character that she brought a travel itinerary she had made for a recent trip to her audition, and the costume department even used a shirt from her closet for Julie. Be on the lookout for a shirt that says "Endless Pasta-bilities."
In the same interview, Hopper says his wife convinced him to go out for the role, telling him it was a "really sweet rom-com." As she also landed a part in the film, the two were off to Verona together, only to have to quarantine for two weeks due to COVID. "We ended up having to spend two weeks alone in the villa, and we had our own Love in the Villa movie," he shared.
While you wait to go on a virtual trip to Verona, check out what else is coming to Netflix in September.