Jennifer Lopez has long been associated with romantic comedies in which her characters start from a position of modest means, limited status, or personal ambition and work toward something bigger. That pattern appears in films such as Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, and Second Act, where Lopez often plays women striving to rise professionally or socially while navigating unexpected romance. In her latest project, Netflix’s Office Romance, co-star Brett Goldstein says the film intentionally breaks from that familiar setup.
Goldstein recently discussed the movie on Late Night with Seth Meyers, explaining that he noticed a recurring theme across Lopez’s rom-coms. He said her characters are often “low status” and “aspiring to something,” and that he wanted to create a “more grown-up” version of a romantic comedy for her. In Office Romance, Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, the CEO and president of Air Cruz, making her character wealthy, powerful, and already successful rather than someone climbing toward success. Goldstein described the film as a “love letter to workaholics,” emphasizing that the story centers on a high-achieving woman who is already at the top of her game.
That marks a notable change from some of Lopez’s best-known romantic comedies. In Maid in Manhattan, she plays a hotel maid whose life changes after she is mistaken for a guest by a rising politician. In The Wedding Planner, her character is ambitious and working toward a promotion when she becomes entangled with a man she is also falling for, who turns out to be the fiancé of one of her clients. In Second Act, Lopez portrays a retail worker who gets the chance to reinvent herself in a powerful corporate role. While not every Lopez rom-com follows the same formula, many have centered on aspiration, reinvention, or upward mobility.
Office Romance takes a different approach. Instead of telling a rags-to-riches or climb-the-ladder story, the movie begins with Lopez’s character already living in luxury and running a successful company. The romantic storyline develops when Jackie Cruz falls for a lawyer, played by Goldstein, as the two work together. The title reflects that setup, placing the focus on a relationship that grows in a professional setting.
The film still includes some familiar elements that audiences often enjoy in Lopez’s romantic comedies, including an ensemble cast and a workplace backdrop. But the central character dynamic is more mature and less rooted in transformation through hardship. Goldstein, who wrote the role with Lopez specifically in mind, appears to have deliberately crafted a story that plays against expectations while still fitting her rom-com image.
Office Romance is scheduled to stream on Netflix on Friday, June 5, as part of the platform’s 2026 lineup. For fans of Lopez’s earlier romantic comedies, the film offers a fresh variation on a familiar genre formula, while still preserving the charm, glamour, and workplace chemistry that have long defined many of her most popular screen roles.
