Maika Monroe teases her role in film of Colleen Hoover's Reminders of Him as first trailer drops

Since her acclaimed breakout role in It Follows in 2014 (which is soon getting a sequel I'm already seated for), California native Maika Monroe has rightfully earned her spot as the 2020s’ answer to Neve Campbell or Jamie Lee Curtis – a modern-day scream queen.

From starring in Longlegs, the scariest film of last year (I won’t be taking any arguments), to the psychologically intense Watcher, to the uncanny-valley horror-comedy Villains, Monroe has become synonymous with all things dark and twisted – she’s an absolute final girl.

Now, though, Monroe is stepping out of the scary.

Her latest project (well, except for the upcoming 100 Nights of Hero and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, that is) comes in the form of a Colleen Hoover adaptation titled Reminders of Him, the first trailer of which has just dropped – and you can watch it below.

The story follows Kenna Rowan – a woman who, having recently been released from prison, attempts to reconnect with her young daughter and rebuild the past bridges she’s burned, despite her checkered past.

Also starring the likes of Tyriq Withers, Lauren Graham, Rudy Pankow, Bradley Whitford and Lainey Wilson, Reminders of Him is a world away from sex demons and peeping toms, but perhaps just as emotionally intense as some of Monroe's previous roles.

“I think after Longlegs, I was just really ready to try something completely different, and this sort of presented itself at the perfect time. I was just ready to try something new,” Monroe explains.

And it’s no surprise Monroe was ready for something a little softer, especially considering the reports that she was so unnerved by looking at Nicolas Cage while filming Longlegs that her heart rate spiked to 170 beats per minute. (If you were unaware, the average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100.)

In Reminders of Him, the character Monroe is taking on comes with brand new challenges. Kenna has often – unfairly, in my opinion – been considered something of an unlikeable protagonist – she’s grief-stricken, complex, and certainly filled with flaws. Monroe, however, says she was able to easily see beyond Kenna’s past actions when forging her character.

“[Kenna] seemed very complicated to me, which I thought was interesting. It wasn’t just sort of a one-note character, which sometimes can happen in this genre of film. I felt there was so much to explore, and so many layers [to her].

“I feel like I always could understand where she was coming from, and she went through an incredible traumatic experience. Not only losing the person she loves most, but also giving birth and having this child taken away from her. I don’t know how one can continue on.

“And I always felt for her, and thought I could understand her brokenness and also her toughness, and what it took for her to have this drive to continue on.”

Taking on a character that has such a colossal fanbase behind her, from a book that is so beloved, of course comes with its own heavy expectations – and Hoover's fandom certainly aren't afraid of being vocal. So was Monroe particularly nervous about taking on such a responsibility?

“With Colleen, she has such a massive fanbase, so of course there’s a pressure," she explains. "But also, immediately I connected with the character. Not only having a script but also an entire book to really understand the inner workings of this character was really helpful. So I’m hoping the fans are happy.”

Monroe also reveals that Reminders of Him is the first of her book adaptions that Hoover has been a producer on, despite being the brains behind the likes of 2024’s It Ends with Us, this week’s release Regretting You and the upcoming Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson – so it seems this project has been particularly important to her.

“Colleen was a producer, and on set every day, which she hasn’t been on one of her [adaptations] yet, so she was super involved, which I think paid off," says Monroe.

“I was kind of left [to craft Kenna’s character]. I feel like we all knew what we needed to do. I think some conversations I had [with Colleen], I think she trusted me. And it was really nice to have her on set – if something came up or if I had a question, it was so great to have the source there.”

The newly released trailer offers us an interesting look at Kenna's journey – from her trial, the early strings of her love for Scotty, and her complicated relationship with Ledger – and so far, it all seems perfectly book accurate. As for whether fans will be happy with the final product? Monroe is very positive.

“We did a pretty great job of following the book,” she says. “So I feel like the fans will be really happy.”

She laughs: "You know, we have a great orange truck! But yeah, it’s so hard to know. But my gut is that fans will be happy.”

We’ll have to wait until 2026 to find out, but with Maika Monroe leading the project, there’s sure to be no lack of magnetism, whether she's saving her best friend from a sadistic, handbag-wielding widow or emotionally reckoning with the past – so I’d say she’s to be trusted.

Until then, at least we have the trailer to tide us over.

Reminders of Him will be released in cinemas on Friday 13th March 2026.

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