Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Michael Balderston

Book Club: The Next Chapter — release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the comedy

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen in Book Club: The Next Chapter

Book Club is back in session. But don't worry, there's no reading to catch up on. Book Club: The Next Chapter is the sequel to the 2018 hit that brought together four acting legends — Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton and Mary Steenburgen. They are back with a new movie that sees the four friends travel to Italy.

If you're getting a bit of deja vu from having four legendary actresses (one of which is Jane Fonda) in a new 2023 movie, don't panic, Book Club: The Next Chapter follows in the footsteps of 80 for Brady, which saw Fonda alongside Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin. 

80 for Brady was a surprise hit early in the year, will Book Club: The Next Chapter duplicate that and its own $100 million success from 2018? We'll see, but in the meantime, here is everything that you need to know about the comedy.

Book Club: The Next Chapter release date

Book Club: The Next Chapter comes out in the early days of the summer blockbuster season, premiering exclusively in movie theaters on May 12.

It can be an adult alternative to the superhero (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and big action movies (Fast X) that are headlining the blockbuster slate.

Book Club: The Next Chapter plot

After meeting the book club in the first movie, the four lifelong friends are jet-setting off to Italy to celebrate the pending nuptials of one of their own. Here is the official synopsis from Focus Features:

"The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure."

The script was written by Bill Holderman and Erin Simms, who both wrote the first movie.

Book Club: The Next Chapter cast

The main quartet for Book Club: The Next Chapter is once again Candice Bergen as Sharon, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Diane Keaton as Diane and Mary Steenburgen as Carol. All four actresses are Oscar nominees (three are winners in Fonda, Keaton and Steenburgen) who have starred in some all time classics in TV and movies, including Murphy Brown (Bergen), Klute (Fonda), The Godfather (Keaton) and Elf (Steenburgen).

Also returning for the sequel are four recognizable actors, Andy Garcia (Father of the Bride) as Mitchell, Craig T. Nelson (The Incredibles) as Bruce and Don Johnson (Knives Out) as Arthur.

Other members of the cast include Giancarlo Giannini (Casino Royale) and Hugh Quarshie (The Son).

Book Club: The Next Chapter trailer

See what the book club gets into on their trip to Italy in the Book Club: The Next Chapter trailer directly below. Oddly enough, we're not sure a book is seen at all in the trailer. 

Book Club: The Next Chapter director

In addition to writing both Book Club movies with Erin Simms, Bill Holderman is pulling double duty again for Book Club: The Next Chapter as the director. The Book Club films are currently the only movies that Holderman has directed, but he also wrote A Walk in the Woods and has produced a number of movies, including The Conspirator, The Company You Keep (the Robert Redford movie, not the new ABC TV series) and The Old Man & the Gun

(Image credit: Focus Features)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.