Tis the season for rekindling romances — and Merv is the perfect movie to set the tone.
PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at director Jessica Swale’s new romantic comedy starring Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox as Anna and Russ, exes who share custody of their adorable dog Merv.
But ever since Anna and Russ split, Merv hasn’t been himself, and a veterinarian diagnoses him with a case of the blues.
To raise Merv’s spirits, Russ decides to whisk him away from Boston to beach vacation in Florida — a trip that Anna promptly crashes.
“I loved the story of a couple breaking up but sharing a dog — and then having to reunite to cure their dog’s melancholy. It just was such a funny concept,” says Deschanel, 45.
Cox, 42, best known for Marvel Cinematic Universe projects like the Netflix series Daredevil, found himself in new, lighter territory. “Tonally, this movie is unlike anything I’ve done before so I relied on Zooey and Jess to guide me,” he says.
