# Book Club: The Next Chapter > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Book_Club:_The_Next_Chapter > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Book_Club:_The_Next_Chapter.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Club%3A_The_Next_Chapter > Source revision: 1339546271 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***Book Club: The Next Chapter*** is a 2023 American [romantic comedy](/source/Romantic_comedy) film written and directed by [Bill Holderman](/source/Bill_Holderman). It serves as a sequel to *[Book Club](/source/Book_Club_(film))* (2018). The film stars [Diane Keaton](/source/Diane_Keaton), [Jane Fonda](/source/Jane_Fonda), [Candice Bergen](/source/Candice_Bergen) and [Mary Steenburgen](/source/Mary_Steenburgen), [Craig T. Nelson](/source/Craig_T._Nelson), [Giancarlo Giannini](/source/Giancarlo_Giannini), [Andy García](/source/Andy_Garc%C3%ADa), and [Don Johnson](/source/Don_Johnson). *Book Club: The Next Chapter* was released in the United States on May 12, 2023, by [Focus Features](/source/Focus_Features). The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $29 million worldwide. ## Plot The four friends in the book club meet in person after [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19) forced them to switch their monthly meetings to [Zoom](/source/Zoom_(software)) calls. During that time, Sharon retires as a judge, Carol's husband Bruce suffers a heart attack, and Carol has to close her Italian restaurant. Vivian, who has been confined with Arthur, reveals their engagement once the confinement is over and the club can meet again in person. Carol reminds them of a trip to Italy they did not go on years previously, so now that the travel ban is lifted, she proposes that they take a bachelorette trip to Italy culminating in the final destination in [Tuscany](/source/Tuscany). At first the three friends resist, but Arthur encourages Vivian to go, Sharon's cat dies, and Mitchell encourages Diane to go. The four thoroughly enjoy their stay in [Rome](/source/Rome), sightseeing, man watching, being admired by the locals and shopping for Vivian's wedding gown. A street artist assures them a trip to [Venice](/source/Venice) is a must for tourists, so they take a train. At the station, they hand over their luggage to the “porters” at the station, not realizing they are thieves. Diane loses the urn containing her deceased husband Harry's ashes, which she has illegally brought into the country, hidden in her suitcase. Sharon calls the police chief who attends them lazy for his treatment of the theft. Carol points out that their experience is like what happened to a character in Paolo Coelho's *The Alchemist*, so they should treat it as part of their adventure too. Vivian's hotel connections get them nice accommodations in Venice. In a bar, Sharon meets Ousmane, a retired philosophy professor who invites the foursome to dinner. The venue turns out to be famed Chef Gianni's cooking school, and he and Carol are blown away by the surprise of seeing each other again. After an evening of eating, drinking and dancing, Sharon and Ousmane leave together and Carol visits Gianni's kitchen. There is a spark between Carol and Gianni, which they channel into kneading dough. Sharon and Ousmane have a passionate encounter on his boat, then are found by the same police chief she called lazy. The foursome rent a car to drive to Tuscany, as Diane especially fears thieves on the train. On the road, Carol panics as Gianni has shared photos of their cooking session online, labeling them in his broken English. Realizing Bruce will see them as they will also go to her iPad, she frantically calls him. Her friends, giving her tough love, point out she is stifling both of them and not enjoying life. They have a flat tire on the secondary road without a spare, forcing them to hitchhike. Diane reveals that they need to be in Tuscany in the morning as Arthur is surprising Vivian with an intimate destination wedding there. When a hunky policeman happens by, Vivian thinks he is a male stripper so tries to pull off his clothes. That lands them in the local jail. There, both Vivian and Diane get tough love and honest feedback, before Sharon goads the same prickly police chief as before into getting them to Vivian's wedding via helicopter. As Diane's urn was recovered, he lets her scatter her husband's ashes en route. Arthur and Mitchell (his best man, and Diane's boyfriend) are waiting, and Carol is surprised by Bruce's appearance. Judge Sharon officiates the wedding. Vivian hedges about going through with the wedding, so Arthur pledges his love and asks her to not marry him. When Mitchell asks Diane to marry him, she accepts so Sharon marries them on the spot. The four friends realize their current book, *[The Alchemist](/source/The_Alchemist_(novel))* by [Paolo Coelho](/source/Paolo_Coelho), predicted their lives more than they expected it to. ## Production In May 2022, *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))* announced that a sequel to *[Book Club](/source/Book_Club_(film))* titled *Book Club 2: The Next Chapter* had begun production, with Keaton, Fonda, Bergen, Steenburgen, Garcia, Johnson, and Nelson reprising their roles from the first film. Production occurred over the course of two months in [Italy](/source/Italy), including 10 days in [Venice](/source/Venice).[5] After [Paramount Pictures](/source/Paramount_Pictures), the distributor of the original film, expressed disinterest in releasing the sequel, [Fifth Season](/source/Fifth_Season_(company)) instead sold worldwide rights to [Focus Features](/source/Focus_Features) in a [negative pickup deal](/source/Negative_pickup_deal) worth over $20 million.[6][7] ## Release *Book Club: The Next Chapter* was released in theatres on May 12, 2023, by [Focus Features](/source/Focus_Features).[8][9] It was available for streaming exclusively on the streaming service [Peacock](/source/Peacock_(streaming_service)) on June 30, 2023.[10] ## Reception ### Box office *Book Club: The Next Chapter* grossed $17.6 million in domestic box office, and $11.5 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $29.1 million in its theatrical performance.[11] In the United States and Canada, *Book Club: The Next Chapter* was released alongside *[Hypnotic](/source/Hypnotic_(2023_film))*, and was projected to gross $7–10 million from 3,507 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] It made $2.1 million on its first day, including $550,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $6.4 million, finishing third behind holdovers *[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3](/source/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._3)* and *[The Super Mario Bros. Movie](/source/The_Super_Mario_Bros._Movie)*. The below-expectations opening was blamed in part on a lack of demand for a sequel to the first film, as well as older females (which made up 48% of the audience) being hesitant to return to theaters since the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic).[7] The film made $3 million in its second weekend, finishing in fourth.[12] ### Critical response Audiences polled by [CinemaScore](/source/CinemaScore) gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale (down from the first film's “A-“), while those polled by [PostTrak](/source/PostTrak) gave it an 81% positive score, with 55% saying they would definitely recommend it.[7] ## References 1. ["*Book Club: The Next Chapter* (12A)"](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/book-club-the-next-chapter-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmda5odk3). *[BBFC](/source/British_Board_of_Film_Classification)*. Retrieved May 16, 2023. 1. Rubin, Rebecca (May 10, 2023). ["Box Office: 'Book Club 2' Targets $10 Million Debut, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' to Rule Again"](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/box-office-preview-book-club-2-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-1235607576/). *Variety*. Retrieved May 11, 2023. 1. "Book Club: The Next Chapter – Financial Information". Book-Club-The-Next-Chapter-(2023). Retrieved September 2, 2023. 1. "Book Club: The Next Chapter". 20768712. Retrieved June 23, 2023. 1. Alexander, Bryan (May 11, 2023). ["Candice Bergen would 'rather die' than wear her 'Book Club' passport belt in real life"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/05/11/book-club-the-next-chapter-candice-bergen/70199767007/). *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*. Retrieved May 11, 2023. 1. Lang, Brent (May 31, 2022). ["'Book Club 2' Starts Production With Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen"](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/book-club-2-jane-fonda-diane-keaton-1235281565/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221023073153/https://variety.com/2022/film/news/book-club-2-jane-fonda-diane-keaton-1235281565/) October 23, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2022. 1. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 14, 2023). ["'Guardians' Gang Steals 'Book Club' Ladies' Purse Over Mother's Day Weekend: Best Second Weekend Hold For MCU Post Covid – Sunday Box Office Update"](https://deadline.com/2023/05/box-office-book-club-the-next-chapter-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-1235364748/). *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved May 14, 2023. 1. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2022-07-28). ["'Book Club 2 – The Next Chapter' Sets Mother's Day Release"](https://deadline.com/2022/07/book-club-2-the-next-chapter-release-date-1235080238/). *Deadline*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220816205211/https://deadline.com/2022/07/book-club-2-the-next-chapter-release-date-1235080238/) August 16, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-10-22. 1. DeVore, Britta (2022-07-28). ["'Book Club 2 – A New Chapter' Gets Spring Release Date"](https://collider.com/book-club-2-a-new-chapter-release-date-jane-fonda-diane-keaton/). *Collider*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221022052411/https://collider.com/book-club-2-a-new-chapter-release-date-jane-fonda-diane-keaton/) October 22, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-10-22. 1. Grobar, Matt (2023-06-26). ["'Book Club: The Next Chapter' Sets Peacock Premiere Date"](https://deadline.com/2023/06/book-club-the-next-chapter-streaming-premiere-date-peacock-1235424823/). *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved 2023-06-27. 1. [https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Book-Club-The-Next-Chapter-(2023)#tab=summary](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Book-Club-The-Next-Chapter-(2023)#tab=summary) 12 Retrieved September 2023 1. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 21, 2023). ["'Fast X' Stays Steady Toward $67M Opening, -4% Behind 'F9' – Early Sunday AM Box Office Update"](https://deadline.com/2023/05/fast-x-box-office-first-weekend-1235373030/). *[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)*. Retrieved May 21, 2023. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Book Club: The Next Chapter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Club%3A_The_Next_Chapter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Club%3A_The_Next_Chapter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.