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Love has a way of evolving—sometimes in full view of the public eye. Case in point: Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, the quintessential late-‘90s teen drama duo who turned their on-screen spark in Dawson’s Creek into a real-life romance before ultimately circling back to friendship. Now, in a twist that feels both nostalgic and emotionally satisfying, the two are reuniting professionally for Holmes’s new film trilogy Happy Hours. And yes, we’re all a little too invested—but with good reason.
Holmes, who’s remained a compelling presence on screen and in the fashion world ever since her breakout role as Joey Potter, brings both star power and depth to anything she touches. Jackson, who’s had his own post-Creek glow-up with acclaimed roles in The Affair and Dr. Death, joins her in Happy Hours, which reportedly centers on two people navigating careers, family obligations, and the pursuit of love amid life’s curveballs. Sound familiar? It should. It’s exactly the kind of low-key romantic realism that made their original chemistry so believable—and beloved.
“Working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship,” Holmes wrote on Instagram after the news broke. “We can’t wait for everyone to see what we make.” That quote alone sent the internet into gentle emotional spirals, with fans (and columnists alike) hoping—perhaps irrationally—that a real-life reconciliation might mirror their on-screen reunion. Are we projecting? Maybe. But who among us can look at photos of Holmes and Jackson laughing together on a park bench and not want something more?
Their original relationship, which began during the filming of Dawson’s Creek in the late ‘90s, may have ended in 1998, but Holmes has said they became “best friends” afterward—a sentiment that feels rare and almost romantic in itself. And now, with both reportedly single (Jackson having split from Jodie Turner-Smith in 2023 and Holmes ending things with musician Bobby Wooten III the year before), the stars seem…well, aligned.
Still, Happy Hours doesn’t need a tabloid-fueled love story to make it compelling. The sheer fact that these two have evolved from co-stars to lovers to exes to colleagues again is enough. There’s something deeply comforting—hopeful, even—about seeing two people who’ve shared that kind of layered history come together again, not as a rekindled couple necessarily, but as grown-ups creating art.
Maybe this is our Before Sunrise. Or maybe it’s just two exes with unfinished creative business. Either way, we’ll be watching.
