The new romantic comedy You, Me & Tuscany takes viewers straight to the heart of Italy. Starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, the film uses its Italian settings to tell a story about love, food, and fresh starts. The movie hit theaters on April 10, 2026, distributed by Universal Pictures. Producer Will Packer, known for Girls Trip, brought this project to life with director Kat Coiro (Marry Me). The production team chose to film entirely on location in Italy to get the look and feel just right.
The Magic of Shooting in Tuscany and Rome
The cast spent time filming across two major Italian regions. Regé-Jean Page, who plays Michael, shared how easy it was to say yes to the project. The producer sent a simple text message that said “Tuscany in the summer?” Page agreed right away.
Halle Bailey, who plays Anna, had a similar reaction. She said when she heard the movie was set in Italy, she immediately wanted to sign up. The actor described the experience as stepping into a dream. She said it felt like walking into a painting and did not seem real at times.
The shoot lasted 34 days total, split between Rome and the Val d’Orcia region in Tuscany.
Rome Filming Locations
The production started with three to four weeks in Rome. The team worked at Cinecittà Studios, a famous film studio where classics like Ben-Hur and La Dolce Vita were made.
Most of the indoor scenes were built on soundstages at Cinecittà. This gave director Kat Coiro full control over the lighting and design. The indoor sets helped show Anna’s move from the cool, restrained feel of New York to the warm, rich colors of Tuscany.
Bailey also explored Rome on her days off. She found a fresh waterfall about one hour outside the city. The locals told her that the place inspired The Chronicles of Narnia movies.
Tuscany Filming Locations: The Heart of the Movie
The main part of the shoot took place in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia region. This area is known for its rolling hills, cypress trees, and beautiful countryside. The production spent about five to six weeks in Tuscany.
Pienza and Monticchiello
The crew based themselves near Pienza, a UNESCO World Heritage hilltop town. Pienza is known as the “ideal city” of the Renaissance and is famous for its strong pecorino cheese. Page joked that the cheese is “very stinky” but said that is a sign of good quality.
Filming also took place in Monticchiello, another small town near Pienza. The Toscana Film Commission confirmed that shooting happened around the Siena area for two weeks during the summer.
The Vineyard Estate
Most of the outdoor scenes were filmed at a family-owned vineyard in the Val d’Orcia. The property has several villas, a wine shop, a piazza, and a 13th century castle tower. The owners found the estate in the 1960s by cutting through overgrowth with a machete. They discovered an 18th century villa that had not been touched for centuries.
The wines made at this vineyard are named after stars and planets. Director Coiro worried that viewers might think the scenery was created with green screen because it looks so perfect.
Page enjoyed driving through the vineyards during the shoot. He said it was a real treat to escape into the world of the movie. He described spending time driving through Tuscany, taking in the landscape.
Behind the Scenes: Life on Set in Italy
The Italian way of working shaped the production. Italian crews do not work overtime. They work shorter hours and then go enjoy their lives. Coiro said these hours are non-negotiable. She explained that Italians do not live to work, they work to enjoy.
This schedule forced the team to work with precision. Locations were kept close together, and every hour was used well. Coiro said the whole thing felt like a vacation.
The food on set was authentic. Coiro first hired food stylists in the normal way. But one day she watched the plates arrive and felt something was wrong. She asked the chef whose restaurant they were using if the food was Italian enough. He said no. She hired him right away. He served handmade pasta at the monitor while she directed.
Cast and Crew Experiences
Halle Bailey took cooking classes to play her role as Anna, a chef. She learned to make cacio e pepe pasta from scratch. Page praised her skills, saying she rolls the pasta herself. Bailey also learned the pan flip and fancy knife techniques.
Bailey brought her young son Halo to Italy. She said the local people welcomed them like family. Everyone would pass the baby around and give him attention. She described herself as a “nature girlie” and enjoyed finding hikes and hot springs during her free time.
Regé-Jean Page was new to Tuscany, though he had traveled to Milan and Venice before. On his days off, he rented a 4×4 vehicle and drove to small hilltop towns. His favorite hobby was getting in the car and driving to a new little village. He would pick one of the two restaurants in town and eat whatever the grandmother was cooking in the kitchen.
In the evenings, the town where Page stayed held lantern-lit concerts in the courtyard, with live music echoing off the old stone buildings. He said it felt so cinematic, and that he was making a movie while also living one.
Italian Details That Made the Movie
Director Coiro paid close attention to getting Italy right. She is Italian-American and is working on getting her Italian citizenship. She told her team to question every sandwich, table setting, and glass of wine. She wanted Italians to feel like the film was made for them.
The movie features many Italian vehicles. The original script had only one convertible. Coiro added a three-wheeled Ape, a tiny Fiat, an electric Topolino, and a Maserati. She also put one Vespa in a marketplace shot, far in the background. The Italian crew asked her not to use a Vespa because every American movie has one.
During a wine tasting scene, Bailey and Page realized they were drinking real wine, not watered down grape juice. Coiro checked for herself. When asked if the bottles were swapped, producer Packer just laughed and said he could neither confirm nor deny.
Production Support from Italy
Italy offers international productions a national tax credit of up to 40 percent. The Toscana Film Commission also helps with permits, local coordination, and location scouting. Producer Packer said cost control was central to the choice to shoot the entire film in Italy, including scenes set in New York. He said it worked well that the money and the authentic feel lined up together.
The production also focused on sustainability through NBCUniversal’s GreenerLight program. The art department used reusable and returnable building materials when possible. Sets were stored, returned, or donated after filming.
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The Movie’s Story and Release
You, Me & Tuscany follows Anna, a young cook who has given up on her dreams. After a chance meeting with a man named Matteo, she travels to his empty villa in Tuscany. But when Matteo’s mother shows up, Anna pretends to be his fiancée. Things get complicated when she meets Matteo’s cousin Michael, played by Page.
The film is now showing in theaters across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India. International release dates vary by region.
The cast included Lorenzo de Moor as Matteo, Isabella Ferrari as Gabriella, Aziza Scott as Claire, and Nia Vardalos as Mrs. Dunn. Kat Coiro directed from a script by Ryan Engle.
The final day of filming ended with a dance party in the town square. The production hired a DJ every Friday while in Tuscany. Hair and makeup workers, camera operators, and local musicians all joined in. The party inspired Coiro to change the movie’s ending. She rewrote it to close with a celebration instead of just a dinner.
Page sent the cast and crew home with bottles of wine from the vineyard where they filmed. He said the wine came from the soil of the place they had been working, which felt right.
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