Netflix‘s Lonely Planet, a romantic drama written and directed by Erin Brockovich‘s Susannah Grant, will begin streaming on October 11. The sweet story offers a dash of adventure when famous novelist Katherine (played by Big Little Lies star Laura Dern) attends a creative retreat in Morocco to combat her own writer’s block. While there, she gets to know a younger businessman named Owen (Liam Hemsworth), whose relationship with his girlfriend begins deteriorating the more he spends time with Katherine.
Lonely Planet is more saccharine than suspenseful, though the burgeoning affair between its lead character may at first glance seem otherwise. But the dynamic between Katherine and Owen is sincere and earnest, and it soon becomes clear that they bring out the best in each other. The actors also click onscreen, making Lonely Planet a very interesting predecessor to Hemsworth’s next big Netflix project, taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher season 4.
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Lonely Planet Trailer: Laura Dern & Liam Hemsworth Start Life-Changing Affair In Netflix Romantic Drama
Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth’s characters begin a romantic affair while in Morocco in Netflix’s upcoming romantic drama film The Lonely Planet.
Screen Rant interviewed Dern and Hemsworth about their unlikely romance in Lonely Planet, and how surprisingly easy they found their chemistry while on set. The duo also praised the writing of their complex relationship dynamic and shared fond memories of filming in Morocco.
Liam Hemsworth & Laura Dern Break Down Their Instant Chemistry In Lonely Planet
“I’m going to trust you and no one else to expose and explore these parts of self and each other.”
Screen Rant: Lonely Planet is a very sweet and deceptively simple story, but the audience really has to buy the chemistry between your characters – and you brought it in spades. I know you can’t force these things, but your interactions felt so natural. Do either of you have any tricks up your sleeve to warm up to costars?
Liam Hemsworth: No tricks. No tricks on this one. We had a connection from the moment we met and sat down. I came onto this project because Laura was a part of it already; the chance to work with Laura was a huge opportunity for me, and I was so excited by that. But coming into it, I’d heard great things about her. She’d just done a little project with my brother, and he’d said really great things about her.
When we sat down it oddly felt like we’d known each other for a lot longer, and there was this instant trust bond that just evolved throughout shooting. We never really had to find that relationship; we had this connection and this trust, and it was just easy. It was really fun to be able to experience all the things that we did throughout this shoot. What a gift to be able to work with someone that you have that connection with, and not feel like you need to sit down and discuss a bunch of things in order to get to that place. It was just this natural ease between both of us from the moment we sat down together.
Screen Rant: Laura, Katherine comes with a lot of baggage, both as a celebrated author experiencing writer’s block and a woman going through a big separation. What discussions did you and Susannah have about the biggest forces driving her at the start of the movie?
Laura Dern: I think what was clear was that, when you find that connection and you feel seen, the intimacy is based on the feelings of everything you’ve carried in your life — not necessarily all the stories.
In a way, Owen gets to meet Catherine as the audience does, and I think she really liked that. We were seeing what Owen and Lily were going through and watching this lack of connection and communication dismantle because of how different these people are or how he is not deeply understood. Then here’s a person who’s completely broken open saying, “This is all of me. I’m not hiding anything. This is who I am, and for some reason, I’m going to trust you and no one else to expose and explore these parts of self and each other.” And that was exactly what our experience was, which is incredible.
Filming On Location In Morocco Was Half The Appeal Of Lonely Planet
“We were just on this ride, this journey, being immersed in the culture.”
Screen Rant: The Moroccan setting is another vitally important part of the story, and you got to actually film on location. What were some of your favorite memories while there?
Liam Hemsworth: Many! Chefchaouen was pretty incredible. Chefchaouen is the Blue City, and we were there for a few days — a week almost, maybe. We constantly were moving around to these different locations, some very remote and some busy cities like Marrakesh, and just living and breathing it.
We were just on this ride, this journey, being immersed and whatnot in the culture. It was such an interesting place to shoot, and what a great place to do it with someone like Laura. The ol’ Laura, who’s a bloody champ. Just a true legend.
More About Lonely Planet (2024)
A reclusive novelist arrives at a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer’s block. While there, she meets a young man — what starts as an acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.
Lonely Planet
begins streaming October 11 on Netflix.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Lonely Planet (2024)
A reclusive novelist attends a Moroccan writer’s retreat to conquer her writer’s block. There, she meets a young man, and what begins as a simple connection soon blossoms into a powerful, life-changing romance.
- Director
- Susannah Grant
- Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Writers
- Susannah Grant