Netflix sets release date for ‘Guarding Stars’ starring Leighton Meester

Netflix has announced that the romantic comedy ‘Guarding Stars’ is scheduled for release on November 18, 2026. The film is an adaptation of Katherine Center’s 2022 novel ‘The Bodyguard’. The title was changed to avoid confusion with the 1992 film of the same name starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.

The movie stars Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki, with the latter making his return to live-action film after nearly two decades. The plot follows a bodyguard, Hannah Brooks, who is tasked with protecting an action star, Jack Stapleton, during the holidays. To hide the threat from his family, she poses as his girlfriend, leading to genuine romantic feelings.

The supporting cast includes Andie MacDowell, Walker Hayes, Noah LaLonde, Toby Sandeman, and WWE star CM Punk. The film is directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and produced by Little Engine Productions and Living in the Asterisk.