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With most studios betting big on big-budget blockbusters and superhero films starring the biggest up-and-coming stars like Tom Holland or Florence Pugh, it’s hard to see how a movie like Book Club could get made. And thank heavens it did! The film was not only widely praised for the performances of its experienced ensemble cast but it also managed to make over $100 million on a $14 million budget. Suddenly, the film that seemingly had an impossible road to success had fans waiting for the inevitable sequel. A year after the release of the first film, star Mary Steenburgen announced that a sequel was underway. The new film will follow the same book club group as they leave their comfort zone yet again. For anybody wondering when Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter will be coming out, who's back, where it's releasing and more, you’ve come to the right place.

Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, and Mary Steenburgen in Book Club
Image via Paramount Pictures

Related:'Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter' First Image Shows the Club Headed to Italy

When Is Book Club 2 Releasing?

Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter is distributed in the US by Focus Features and will be released on May 12, 2023.

Is Book Club 2 Releasing on Streaming or in Theaters?

Unfortunately, Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter will not be available for streaming on the same day as its theatrical release and there is no news on what streaming service it will end up on. However, as Focus Features is owned by NBCUniversal, it will likely end up on the parent company’s streaming service, Peacock, after it leaves theaters.

Is There A Trailer for Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter?

Yes, a trailer was released on December 19, 2022. It seems a lot has changed since we last saw these women. At the start of the trailer, Vivian reveals that she has recently gotten engaged to her boyfriend Arthur. According to Carole, that leaves only one option: they’ll have to plan a major bachelorette party in sunny, sexy Italy as it may be the last time all of them could take such an extravagant trip together. It’s not long before their fun in the sun turns a bit dangerous as their deeply misguided attempts at flirting lead them to trouble, even spending a night in jail.

What Is the Plot of Book Club 2?

The new film will follow up where the last film left off. The first movie saw an older women’s book club group turned upside down when they start reading the scandalous sensation Fifty Shades of Grey. Vivian, the sexually liberated single woman who is more committed to her hotel enterprise than any romantic commitment, finally falls for her old flame Arthur. Diane, a recent widow struggling to gain independence from her overprotective daughters, takes a chance on romance with a mysterious pilot and defiantly refuses her daughters’ plan to move her out to Arizona. Sharon, the workaholic federal judge, takes the plunge into online dating despite her many reservations and anxieties. Finally, Carole, the recent retiree, puts the spark back into her marriage thanks to some new tips and tricks from Christian Grey. The second part of this story shows our bookworms embarking on a girls' trip to Italy. However, when things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing trip turns into a wild adventure across this beautiful and romantic country.

Related:The Essential Romantic Comedies of 2018, Ranked

Who Is Directing Book Club 2?

The director of Book Club 2 — The Next Chapter is Bill Holderman. Holderman began his career as a producer. He got his first associate producer credit on the film Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford. The political drama took aim at the US government’s prosecution of the wars in the Middle East through three intertwining stories. From then on, Holderman began a close collaboration with Redford as his next two producing credits came on two more films directed by Redford, a post-Civil War courtroom drama titled The Conspirator, and the story of an aging anti-Vietnam War protester, The Company You Keep. He has also produced several other projects without Redford like What They Had. Holderman’s first screenplay was for the Robert Redford-Nick Nolte vehicle A Walk in the Woods, the story of two old friends reuniting for a hike. He made his directorial debut in 2018 with Book Club, which he also wrote and produced. This will be his second time pulling triple duty as a producer, writer, and director.

Who's In the Cast of Book Club 2?

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen in Book club 2
Image via Focus Features

Thankfully, the first movie's cast of award-winning actors has all agreed to return, along with some new faces. Diane Keaton returns to play the role of Diane. Keaton first came to prominence after appearing in a slew of Woody Allen movies like Play it Again, Sam, Sleeper, and Love & Death. In between filming these farcical films, she proved her dramatic prowess with her haunting role in The Godfather Part I & II as well as the true crime drama Looking for Mr. Goodbar. She won the Oscar for Best Actress in one of the most iconic roles of the 1970s, Annie Hall, which revolutionized the romantic comedy genre. Since then she has been nominated for comedies like Something’s Gotta Give and dramas like Reds. Jane Fonda stars as Vivian. The daughter of film star Henry Fonda, she started her career early on as a romantic comedy star alongside actors like Robert Redford. She gained her first Oscar nomination for the Depression-era drama, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They, and won twice for Klute and Coming Home. After briefly retiring in the 1990s, she returned to the screen with Monster-in-Law and has found a new audience with the Netflix sitcom Grace & Frankie, which saw her reunite with her 9 to 5 costar Lily Tomlin.

Candice Bergen stars as Sharon. Bergen first gained critical acclaim for her supporting role in Carnal Knowledge, where she starred alongside Art Garfunkel and Jack Nicholson. However, the role she is most known for came in the 1980s, with the feminist workplace sitcom Murphy Brown. Since the 2000s, Bergen has oscillated between TV dramas like Boston Legal and romantic comedies like Bride Wars. Rounding out the book club is Mary Steenburgen as Carole. Steenburgen won an Oscar early in her career with Jonathan Demme’s Melvin & Howard. Her most famous movies include What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Elf, and The Help.

Andy Garcia stars as Diane’s love interest. He began his career in crime dramas like The Untouchables and The Godfather Part III but has also proven his chops in comedies like Father of the Bride. Starring alongside Fonda as her long-lost love is Don Johnson. Johnson is most known for his role as the cool detective James Crockett on Miami Vice, as well as his more recent roles in Knives Out and Watchmen. Craig T. Nelson stars as Carole’s dutiful husband Bruce. Nelson has been thoroughly praised for his roles on TV in shows like Coach and Parenthood. He has also seen major critical and box office success with movies like Poltergeist and The Incredibles. Joining the cast is Giancarlo Giannini, who became a star of Italian cinema in the 1970s for his continued collaboration with director Lina Wertmuller on films like The Great Beauty and Swept Away. Giannini has also enjoyed success overseas with the James Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.