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Netflix is bringing a beloved romance to the screen this fall.
Netflix has officially announced a release date for Guarding Stars, its upcoming holiday romantic comedy starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki. The film will premiere worldwide on November 18, 2026. The project is an adaptation of Katherine Center’s 2022 romance novel The Bodyguard.
The movie was originally supposed to have the same title as the book. However, plans changed when the creative team realized that The Bodyguard is associated with the 1992 romantic drama starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Before Netflix gave the film a new title, several readers and fans of the book had recommendations for a potential name for the adaptation.
In November 2025, Padalecki even asked his followers on social media to come up with ideas for a title. The actor explained the circumstances behind the decision to change the name and encouraged his fans to add their own suggestions in the comments of his post.
Guarding Stars will have a large ensemble cast. The film will feature Andie MacDowell, Walker Hayes, Noah LaLonde, CM Punk, and Toby Sandeman, alongside Meester and Padalecki.
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, who directed Aquamarine and Purple Hearts, is helming the film. The screenplay is written by Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith, who is known for Isn’t It Romantic and Virgin River. Grant Scharbo and Gina Matthews are producing through Little Engine Productions, while Jared and Genevieve Padalecki are producing under their Living in the Asterisk banner.
Guarding Stars is based on Katherine Center’s romance novel The Bodyguard, which was published on July 19, 2022. The story follows Hannah Brooks, an executive protection agent hired to protect movie star Jack Stapleton from a stalker while he spends time with his family. To keep the threat a secret from his relatives, Hannah agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend, but the arrangement becomes complicated when they begin to develop real feelings.
Guarding Stars marks Padalecki’s return to live-action feature films after a nearly two-decade absence. His last live-action movie was the 2009 horror film Friday the 13th, where he starred as Clay Miller. After that project, Padalecki mainly focused on TV roles, such as Supernatural and Walker. His only feature film prior to this role was in the animated movie Phantom Boy, in which he served as a voice actor.
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