Brett Goldstein said it was “insane” that Jennifer Lopez agreed to make the movie, but he believed the script was strong and that the project showed a side of Lopez audiences had not seen in her earlier romantic comedies. He explained that in many of her past rom-com roles, Lopez played an aspirational underdog, while in this film her character is already powerful, successful, and “has it all,” even though something important is still missing in her life.
Lopez said she was drawn to the story because other characters misunderstand her role. Her character comes across as intimidating and strong, and people assume she is cruel or cold, but the film reveals a different truth. As the story progresses, and as her character connects with Daniel, the audience sees that she is actually funny, goofy, and deeply lovable. Lopez said that dynamic felt very relatable to her.
The conversation also touched on the way the airline employees react to Jackie, Lopez’s character. They are either afraid of her or automatically agree with everything she says. Lopez said that mirrors her own real-life experience to a degree, explaining that people often put her on a pedestal or treat her like a distant public figure rather than a real person. She said that can be frustrating, because she is not aggressive, does not yell, and is not unkind. She joked that people only need to relax and get to know her better.
Goldstein said making the film involved a risk because Lopez could not be auditioned in the usual way. There was no chance to test her performance before committing to a full production. Still, he said he felt confident from the start because he expected her to be excellent and genuinely pleasant to work with. He said that confidence was confirmed during their first Zoom meeting, when they immediately started laughing and the conversation felt easy and natural.
The exchange highlighted the appeal of the film: a story about a woman who appears powerful and unapproachable on the surface, but who is revealed to be warm, humorous, and human. Both Goldstein and Lopez emphasized that the character’s strength and vulnerability are central to the movie’s identity, giving the role a different emotional shape from Lopez’s earlier romantic-comedy work.
