One of the latest romance novels to get that distinction is The Last Letter From Your Lover by author Jojo Moyes, whose book Me Before You brought us the 2016 tear-jerker of the same name. Premiering July 23 on Netflix, The Last Letter From Your Lover promises the same kind of heartbreaking epic romance in a pair of interwoven stories as a modern-day journalist finds secret love letters from the 1960s and attempts to reunite the illicit lovers. Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s The Last Letter From Your Lover, including what the story is about, who stars in the film, how Moyes came up with the book’s concept, and how the adaptation differs from the author’s original novel, which was published in 2011.
What Is The Last Letter From Your Lover About?
In a nutshell, The Last Letter From Your Lover is a dual-narrative romantic drama that follows the lives of Jennifer Sterling, an American woman living in 1960s London, and Ellie Haworth, a contemporary London reporter. Though they are living in the same city forty years apart, their lives intersect when Ellie discovers a treasure trove of heartbreaking letters addressed to Jennifer in the archives of the newspaper where she works. With the help of the newspaper’s charming archivist, Rory, Ellie obsessively investigates whatever became of star-crossed lovers Jennifer and the mysterious “B.” While working with Rory to find Jennifer and her lover and hopefully reunite them, Ellie embarks on a romance of her own. Meanwhile, back in the 1960s, socialite Jennifer wakes from a coma following a car accident and can’t remember anything about her life. As she searches for clues about her past, she finds hidden love notes around her home simply signed with the initial “B”—including one where he begs her to leave her aloof businessman husband. Ultimately, The Last Letter From Your Lover is an unforgettable story about love lost, love found, and missed opportunities.
Who Stars in The Last Letter From Your Lover?
The all-star cast of The Last Letter From Your Lover includes Shailene Woodley as Ellie, Felicity Jones as Jennifer, Nabhaan Rizwan as Rory, Joe Alwyn as Jennifer’s husband Laurence, and Callum Turner as Jennifer’s secret lover, Anthony. In addition to starring in the film, Woodley and Jones are both executive producers.
What Inspired Moyes to Write The Last Letter From Your Lover?
Where did Moyes get the inspiration for her book? From a conversation overheard in a restaurant! Back in 2011 when the novel was first released, the author told CBS News that she’d been eavesdropping on a group of women who were trying to decipher a text message when inspiration hit. “Like most writers, I’m horribly nosy, and I became fascinated by their debate about whether the man who sent it was keen or not,” Moyes confessed. “It went on for hours. What made me laugh was discovering at the end that the text message simply said: ‘Later X.’” Around the same time, Moyes added, her 20-something cousin admitted that she had never received a love letter. “It got me thinking about how my generation might be the last to write love letters, and how new technology may have actually muddied the waters of romance,” the author shared. “I just can’t believe a Facebook update or a texted booty call has the same emotional impact, or lasting joy of a handwritten letter, tied with ribbon and hidden lovingly in a box somewhere.” And thus, the concept for The Last Letter From Your Lover was born.
How Will The Last Letter From Your Lover Movie Be Different From the Book?
There’s no way to know for sure how closely adaptation of The Last Letter From Your Lover will follow the book until the movie debuts on Netflix on July 23. But one possible big difference could be the year in which Ellie’s story takes place. In the book’s timeline, Ellie’s story is set in 2003—seven years before Moyes originally published the book in 2011. There’s a chance that to make the movie feel more current, Ellie’s narrative will be set in a year closer to present-day 2021. Spoiler Alert! It’s also worth noting that in the book, Ellie’s investigation ends when she discovers the last known letter between Jennifer and Anthony—where he begs her to run away with him. The novel concludes with an older Jennifer realizing that she’d been confined in her life by her husband, caged by his expectations of her and preventing her from ever reuniting with B. But Jennifer also realizes her privilege: A women’s place in society has changed so much in the past 40 years, and she now has a voice to choose her own path for the future. Meanwhile, in the book, Ellie’s been having an affair herself with a married man named John and is optimistic that if she can help Jennifer and B have a happy ending, she’ll find one, too. But by the end of the novel, Ellie realizes that John will never leave his wife for her. It’s not clear how big of a part John plays in the movie version of The Last Letter From Your Lover—or if he’s part of Ellie’s storyline at all. However, based on the Netflix trailer for The Last Letter From Your Lover, it seems as if both heroines may have a happier ending than their literary counterparts! The film version of Ellie shares a steamy kiss with Rory and is successful in tracking down both Jennifer and Anthony in the modern-day timeline—giving us hope that these star-crossed lovers will get a second chance.
Is There a Trailer for The Last Letter From Your Lover?
Yes! Prepare yourself for all the ugly-cry goodness that is bound to come from The Last Letter From Your Lover by watching the official Netflix trailer below! Next, read our list of the best movies from the 2000s!
