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Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s son is adding to his acting resume after landing a role in a new book to movie adaptation.
Netflix announced the ‘Better Than the Movies alert’ on social media Thursday, revealing: ‘Deacon Phillippe, Nicole Bruner, Luke Kirby, Judy Greer, Claire Coffee, Ora Duplass, Veronica Garrubbo and Kynlee Heiman will join Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono in the new film based on the bestselling novel by Lynn Painter.’
Phillippe, 22, also shared a post from the streaming giant on his Instagram Stories, calling his castmates ‘gang’ and telling followers in a separate post that he was ‘beyond grateful.’
The nepo baby made his acting debut in 2022’s Never Have I Ever before appearing in 2025’s Prime Video series Motorheads.
He is set to star in 4 Kids Walk Into a Bar in 2027.
Deacon Phillippe is set to play the role of Michael Young in Better Than the Movies, the adaptation of Lynn Painter’s #1 New York Times bestseller published in 2021
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's son has mostly focused on a music career in production and songwriting
Nicole Bruner (High Potential), Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Judy Greer (In Memoriam), Claire Coffee (FBI), Ora Duplass (Their Town), Veronica Garrubbo (Love Language) and Kynlee Heiman (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) also landed roles.
Phillippe plays the role of Michael Young in the adaptation of Lynn Painter’s #1 New York Times bestseller which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2021.
Production on the Julia Hart-helmed project began in Chicago on Thursday, Deadline reports, the same day more newcomers to the project were announced.
Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono’s lead roles were announced in July.
According to Deadline, Better Than the Movies centers on Liz Buxbaum (Kitsos), ‘whose obsession with rom-com movies proves very helpful when she schemes with her annoying but cute next-door neighbor (Iacono) to get the attention of her untouchable crush.’
The casting means Phillippe, who graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in May, could draw even more comparisons to his actor father Ryan.
Mostly focused on a music career in production and songwriting, Ryan’s lookalike son occasionally dips into modeling and acting.
Back in September 2021, the I Know What You Did Last Summer star spoke modestly of where his son gets his good looks in an interview with E! News.
Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono’s lead roles in the Netflix movie were announced in July
The nepo baby made his acting debut in 2022’s Never Have I Ever before appearing in 2025’s Prime Video series Motorheads
‘Obviously, there is a father-son resemblance, but he actually looks a lot more like Reese's side of the family. Ava looks more like mine,' he told the outlet, adding that Deacon is 'way better looking than I am.'
Phillippe and Witherspoon wed in 1999 and were the 'It' couple of the early 2000s until their eventual separation in 2006. A year later, their divorce was finalized.
The actor blamed the divorce primarily on their young age when they married, telling W Magazine the split was the 'darkest, saddest place' he had ever known.
Witherspoon, who wrapped up filming the fifth and final season of The Morning Show on August 8, set to air in 2027, described their divorce as 'humiliating and very isolating,' per Page Six.
However, the exes remained friendly throughout their post-divorce, co-parenting years and are still friendly.
Witherspoon has been quietly dating Searchlight Capital founding partner Oliver Haarmann since 2024.
The actress is said to be relieved that her boyfriend is not a fellow celebrity.
'She likes that he's outside of the entertainment world,' a source told People. 'He's very driven in his own career and that really works for Reese, who loves being busy and focused. They have a lot of fun together and things between them are going really well.'
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