Director James C. Strouse has set his next feature. It’s All Coming Back to Me, a new romantic drama, is set to hit theaters early next year.

Strouse made his directorial debut with 2007’s Grace is Gone starring John Cusack. He followed this up with the Sam Rockwell-led 2009 sports comedy The Winning Season. 2015’s People Places Things gave the director his second comedic feature, this time starring Jemaine Clement, followed by 2017’s comedy The Incredible Jessica James starring Jessica Williams. Strouse has penned the screenplays for films including Steve Buscemi’s 2005 Lonesome Jim, the anthology New York, I Love You in 2009, and John Krasinski’s The Hollers in 2016. He contributed screenplays for the Facebook Watch original series Strangers in 2017 and 2018.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Now, after a 5-year directing hiatus, Strouse is marking his comeback. It looks like he will be moving back to his drama roots and away from comedic work for this new project. Strouse is set to write and direct, while Screen Gems and Thunder Road Pictures will produce. So, what else do we know about It’s All Coming Back to Me? What can we expect from the story? Who has been lined up in the cast? When and where can we see the film once it is released? And what else should audiences know about James C. Strouse’s It’s All Coming Back to Me?

It’s All Coming Back to Me: The Plot

     Warner Bros. Pictures

While It’s All Coming Back to Me may be new to American audiences, the actual story has been seen before. The film is a remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich, translated into English as SMS for You. Additionally, the original German film was adapted from a 2009 novel of the same name by Sofie Cramer.

RELATED: The 13 Best Rom-Coms on Netflix, Ranked

The storyline centers on a woman who loses her fiancée in a tragic accident. As she struggles with grief, she begins sending romantic text messages to his old phone number. However, the phone number has been reassigned to another man who happens to be suffering from a similar tragedy. The two meet and bond over their mutual heartbreak but can’t seem to move forward with their lives. With a bit of help from Celine Dion and her music, the two realize that they may be able to take a chance on love once again.

Celine Dion will have an integral role in production, both onscreen and behind the scenes. In addition to playing herself and providing the music, the film is named for her cover of the song “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” Dion covered the Jim Steinman song on her 1996 album Falling Into You to critical acclaim, often regarded as a highlight of Dion’s career and one of the greatest love songs of all time. The film has to accomplish a lot if it’s going to live up to the lofty heights set by the same-named song.

While we don’t know how much of Dion’s music will be featured, she has reportedly recorded at least one new song for the film. All we can do now is wait until closer to the release date for more detailed plot information.

It’s All Coming Back to Me: The Cast

     ABC

Priyanka Chopra will lead the main cast as the unnamed woman struggles with her fiancée’s death. Outlander star Sam Heughan will star as the man who receives the late fiancée’s phone number. While we know their character arcs, neither one has a name as of now. In the original German film, the two leads were named Clara and Mark, so maybe they will be the same or similar.

We know that Celine Dion will be playing herself in some capacity. Her role is described as a “mentor figure” for the two leads, inspiring them to turn back to love after their respective heartbreaks. However, we don’t know how detailed Dion’s role currently is.

RELATED: The Best Sports Movie Rom-Coms, Ranked

As for the remainder of the cast, we have names but no characters or storylines attached to them. English actor Russell Tovey, known for comedy dramas such as BBC’s Being Human and HBO’s Looking will be appearing. Steve Oram, star and writer of the 2012 comedy film Sightseers, also has a role. Additional cast include British comedian and writer Omid Djalili, actress Lydia West, who recently appeared in Netflix’s Mike Myers-led The Pentaverate, and actress Sofia Barclay. Nigerian actor Arinze Kene is set for a role, as is Celia Imrie of FX’s Better Things with Pamela Adlon.

We can expect to learn more about the characters these stars will play and additional casting news in the coming weeks and months.

Release Date

It’s All Coming Back to Me will be released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 10, 2023. That date places it just ahead of the Valentine’s Day weekend, with the studio likely hoping to capitalize on the spirit of the season.