Netflix released the romantic comedy Voicemails for Isabelle last Friday. The film stars Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson and reached the streamer following nearly eight years of development.
The movie tells the story of Jill, who leaves voicemails for her late sister Isabelle. Wes receives the messages after being assigned Isabelle’s old phone number, leading to a romance built on missed connections.
Director and screenwriter Leah McKendrick added scenes during production to show Wes’s good intentions. One such scene was inserted at the last minute in Vancouver, where Wes attempts to confess but finds Jill asleep.
McKendrick also highlighted the central relationship between the sisters. Jill and Isabelle maintained their bond through long voicemails after Isabelle’s cystic fibrosis diagnosis kept her at home.
A late addition to the script involved Wes trading a rare Black Lotus card from Magic: The Gathering to retrieve lost voicemails. McKendrick, who also appears in the film as Breeda, said the idea came from producers and was cleared shortly before shooting.
