Lindsay Lohan and Henry Golding will lead Netflix’s new romance Return to You, which is now in production. The film reunites Lohan with Mark Waters, the director behind two of her defining early comedies, Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. Set entirely in 2008, the film combines early-2000s nostalgia with a mystery-driven love story built around a physical DVD.
Mark Waters is directing Return to You from a screenplay by Eric Champnella, with Netflix confirming the production in a joint Instagram post with Lohan. The project marks the first reunion between Lohan and Waters in more than two decades, bringing them together again after their collaborations on 2003’s Freaky Friday and 2004’s Mean Girls.
The film follows a powerful but lonely divorce attorney, played by Lindsay Lohan, whose life takes an unexpected turn when she mistakenly receives an emotional DVD recorded by a dying woman for her husband. Using only the clues contained on the disc, she sets out to track down the man for whom it was intended. Henry Golding plays the grieving widower on the other end of that search.
The 2008 setting is central to the identity of Return to You. Rather than relying on smartphones, instant messages and endless digital trails, the story uses a physical DVD as the key object connecting its characters. The technology places the romance in a distinct period while also creating a mystery that depends on information preserved on a disc. The premise gives the film a more old-school approach to romance while allowing the story to explore how two strangers become connected through a private farewell.
For Lohan, the project represents a reunion with a filmmaker closely associated with her early career. Waters directed her in both Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, two films that remain closely connected to 2000s pop culture. Return to You moves away from the teenage comedy of those earlier collaborations, instead placing Lohan in a more mature romantic mystery.
Lohan is also producing the film alongside Brad Krevoy through his Motion Picture Corporation of America banner. Krevoy has previously produced Lohan’s Netflix romances Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish. Olivia Krevoy, Jimmy Townsend and Galen Fletcher are executive producing.
The project continues Lohan’s relationship with Netflix, which began with Falling for Christmas in 2022. She subsequently starred in Irish Wish in 2024 and Our Little Secret, making Return to You her fourth feature for the streamer under the partnership. The earlier films established a new chapter in Lohan’s screen career and made her a recurring presence in Netflix’s romantic-comedy lineup.
According to the supplied production information, each of those films debuted strongly on Netflix’s film charts. Our Little Secret recorded 32.4 million views in its opening weekend, described as Lohan’s biggest streaming launch to date, while Irish Wish reached No. 2 globally with 19.5 million views in a single week.
Lohan first signed her Netflix deal in 2022 following the success of Falling for Christmas. She told Forbes at the time that she wanted to bring back the kind of romantic comedies that had defined her early career. More recently, she has said she does not want to make Netflix films “forever,” suggesting that Return to You could be one of her last projects for the streamer as she looks towards theatrical releases.
Waters has also continued his relationship with Netflix, directing several films for the streamer in recent years, including He’s All That, Mother of the Bride and La Dolce Villa. His next project, however, is Hershey, a biographical drama about the making of the chocolate company.
Henry Golding, meanwhile, is best known for his breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians, along with films including A Simple Favor, The Gentlemen and Close Personal Friends. His casting opposite Lohan gives Return to You its central romantic pairing, with the film’s mystery providing the narrative journey that brings their characters together.
Production is now underway. Pre-production reportedly began on September 21, with principal photography starting on September 28, 2026. Filming is expected to run for approximately a month and a half in Toronto. Additional reporting has indicated that Chicago could also be used as a filming location, although Netflix’s announcement has not publicly confirmed that location.
Eric Champnella previously wrote Unstoppable, Alex & Me and Thunderstruck. Beyond Return to You, Lohan is also set to appear as the lead in Hulu’s limited series Count My Lies, expected in 2027. Netflix has not announced a release date for Return to You or any further cast members.
The film also creates a bridge between different stages of Lohan’s career. Her early work with Waters remains closely associated with 2000s pop culture, while her recent Netflix films have introduced her to a newer streaming audience. Return to You carries that recognizable history without simply revisiting an earlier franchise or repeating the same story.
What makes Return to You distinctive is the way these elements come together: Lohan is reuniting with Waters, the story returns to 2008, a forgotten DVD becomes the starting point for an unexpected search for love, and Henry Golding joins the journey as the grieving widower. With its nostalgic technology, romantic mystery and familiar creative pairing, the film offers another chapter in Lohan’s ongoing relationship with Netflix.
