Romance Movies
‘Dawson’s Creek’ Stars Katie Holmes & Joshua Jackson Reunite for Romance Trilogy: All About ‘Happy Hours’
If Pacey and Joey were the only couple that ever “made total and complete sense” on your TV screen, you’re in luck, because Dawson’s Creek stars Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson are working together again.
On July 21, Deadline announced that Holmes, who played our beloved Joey Potter, is set to write, direct, and star in Happy Hours, a new movie trilogy. If that news wasn’t enough to restart your Dawson’s Creek obsession, Jackson — yes, THE Pacey Witter — will costar in the “character-driven dramedy” as Holmes’ love interest. Cue the screams!
Read on to learn more about Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson’s reunion and who else has been cast in the film trilogy!
What is Happy Hours about?
Happy Hours follows characters portrayed by Holmes and Jackson as they navigate their relationship “within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life’s inevitable obstacles.” For anyone who loves a second-chance romance, the trilogy has been promoted as an “emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults.”
Fred Norris / Columbia TriStar Television / Everett Collection
While the setting of the trilogy has not been confirmed, filming has begun in New York City for the first movie, with both Jackson and Holmes being spotted on set.
When is Happy Hours coming out?
There is no official release date for Happy Hours as of July 2025. According to Deadline, the first film in the trilogy is set to film in New York this summer, with the following two movies set to film shortly after. Given the current filming schedule, viewers can expect to see the first installment of this Pacey and Joey reunion to hit screens no sooner than summer 2026.
Who has been cast in Happy Hours?
Other than Holmes and Jackson, multiple actors have joined the Happy Hours cast. On the day that Happy Hours was first announced, it was confirmed that Broadway star Joe Tippett (Waitress, Mare of Easttown) has joined the cast. The stage star is joined by Donald Webber Jr., best known for Severance, and Nathan Darrow from House of Cards.
Following the announcement, Holmes posted on her Instagram about the cast and crew. She stated, “I am so very grateful to be working again with so many of my wonderful friends on this film HAPPY HOURS. And working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship. HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can’t wait for everyone to see what we make.” In the post, she tagged Jackson, Constance Wu, Mary Louise Parker, John McGinty, Donald Webber Jr., Sky Smith, Brie Welch, and Michael Fitzgerald.
Did Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson date?
The former costars’ chemistry extended off-screen, as the Pacey and Joey actors had a real-life relationship during the early seasons of Dawson’s Creek back in 1998. At 19 years old, Holmes gave a now-famous interview to Rolling Stone where she alluded to her relationship with Jackson, sharing, “I’m just going to say that I met somebody last year. I fell in love, I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always.”
Ironically, Holmes and Jackson broke up in 1999, around the time their characters became an official couple on the show. While many did not expect a public reunion to be in the cards for the exes, earlier this year Jackson reflected on their relationship, stating on Jesse Tyler Ferguson‘s Dinner’s on Me podcast, “Katie and I are very close. It’s not a daily call. Sometimes it’s not a weekly or monthly or even a half-yearly call.” Seems like the duo will be seeing a lot more of each other than a daily call for the foreseeable future.
Happy Hours, Film Trilogy, TBA
