Finding Emily Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far

Alicia MacDonald's upcoming British romantic comedy Finding Emily hits UK theaters on May 22, 2026, delivering a sharp, 110-minute campus-wide chase. While the film positions itself as a chaotic hunt for a dream girl, the central phone-number twist hides a much cleaner genre pivot that classic rom-com fans won't want to miss.  

Finding Emily Plot Explained

The story kicks off when Owen (Spike Fearn), a lovestruck musician, experiences love at first sight with a girl on campus. But when she gives him her phone number with one critical digit missing, he launches a frantic, city-wide search across Manchester to locate her. To narrow down the list of potential "Emilys," he teams up with a driven American psychology student—who also happens to be named Emily (Angourie Rice). As the duo sparks a hilarious, campus-wide frenzy to find the original girl, their own chaotic partnership begins to test their underlying ambitions and their hearts.  

Full Plot Breakdown

The narrative backbone of Finding Emily centers on Owen, a talented but highly romantic musician navigating life in Manchester. Following a magical encounter on campus, he is convinced he has found his ultimate soulmate. However, his dreams are immediately halted by a logistical nightmare: the phone number she scribbled down is incomplete, missing a single final digit.  

The Missing Digit Problem

Refusing to let the connection slide, Owen decides to manually track down the mystery girl. The missing digit means there are dozens of potential combinations and multiple women named Emily across the university ecosystem. His single-minded mission quickly disrupts the peace of the campus. Recognizing he needs an analytical strategy to filter through the data, Owen enlists the help of an ambitious American psychology student named Emily. She views the chaotic social experiment as the perfect opportunity to prove her academic theories on human attraction, creating a calculated partnership to map out every "Emily" in the area.  

The Manchester Campus Frenzy

What starts as a targeted investigation rapidly devolves into an absolute public spectacle. As Owen and Emily cross-examine students and chase down false leads—including encounters with campus Dean (Minnie Driver)—the search transforms into a viral trend. The hunt sparks a chaotic, campus-wide frenzy that forces both Owen and his partner to spend every waking hour together. As they navigate the comedic fallout of their public search, the true friction shifts away from the mystery girl and onto the growing, undeniable chemistry building between the two leads.  

Future Implications for the Genre

Produced by Working Title Films—the legendary studio behind Notting Hill and Love Actually—the film serves as a highly strategic attempt to revitalize the classic British rom-com structure for a younger audience. Rather than relying on a predictable linear romance, the screenplay by Rachel Hirons uses a modern, high-concept hook to subvert traditional expectations. If the film performs well globally, it establishes a fresh template for localized, city-centric romantic comedies that rely on strong ensemble chemistry and fast-paced situational humor over standard relationship tropes.  

Quick Facts

• Release Date: May 22, 2026 (UK) / August 28, 2026 (US)  

• Platform: Theaters (Universal Pictures / Focus Features)  

• Director / Showrunner: Alicia MacDonald  

• Runtime: 110 minutes  

• Cast: Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn, Minnie Driver, Ella Maisy Purvis  

• Status: Upcoming / Theaters This Week (UK)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch Finding Emily internationally?

The movie will be released in UK cinemas on May 22, 2026. For international audiences, it hits US theaters on August 28, 2026, with global distribution handled via Universal Pictures International.  

Who wrote the screenplay for the movie?

The script was written by British screenwriter Rachel Hirons, known for her sharp comedic work on A Guide to Second Date Sex and Powder Room.  

Where was Finding Emily filmed?

Principal photography took place directly on location in Manchester, England, utilizing the city center and local university backdrops between August and September 2024.  

What is the official runtime of the film?

The film has an official theatrical running time of 110 minutes, packing the entire campus search into a lean under-two-hour frame.