In 2026, Nonnas remains a warm, funny, and deeply human Netflix comedy that proves small stories can leave big marks. The film follows Joe Scaravella, a man who rethinks his life after his mother passes away and decides to open a restaurant where the chefs are Italian grandmothers. Directed by Stephen Chbosky and written by Liz Maccie, Nonnas stars Vince Vaughn, Joe Manganiello, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, and Brenda Vaccaro. With a runtime of 112 minutes, it blends comedy, family, and food into a story that feels both specific and universal.

From Real Life to the Screen

Nonnas did not begin as a typical studio project. It grew from the real-life story of Joe Scaravella, the founder of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant where Italian grandmothers take over the kitchen. Gigi Pritzker, who founded the award-winning independent entertainment company Madison Wells, helped shepherd the film from the ground up. Madison Wells focuses on stories about badass women and people who push boundaries, and Scaravella's restaurant fit that mission perfectly. After the team learned about his story, they found writer Liz Maccie, and the project finally started rolling.

The road to production was anything but smooth. Pritzker explained that the script was amazing, but it was hard to get people to understand a film that was not genre. It was an independent feel-good family movie, and those projects are sometimes underestimated. Still, the team eventually found unbelievable partners, including Fifth Season and Netflix. According to Pritzker, Netflix jumped right in and was extraordinary. She noted that Netflix can feel like a big, faceless behemoth, but the experience on Nonnas was anything but that. The people at Netflix related to the story in one way or another. It reminded them of their granny or their family. They could not have worked harder to make sure the film was uplifted in the way it needed to be.

A Production Hit by Strikes, Fires, and Time

Production is always hard, but Pritzker said this one was on a whole other level. The world at the time of shooting created constant obstacles. There were strikes. There were fires that caused unhealthy air. The team had no margin for error because time was tight. They were squeezed into a moment and had a hard out. Yet everyone pushed forward. Pritzker later said it was worth every minute of the challenges because the team was amazing.

Vince Vaughn and Joe Manganiello Bring Real Friendship

Vince Vaughn and Joe Manganiello are real-life friends, so filming together was a blast. Pritzker revealed that they spent a lot of time improvising, especially in two of the film's most emotional scenes. At one point, their characters have a fight. A few scenes later, they make up. The fight scene was amazing because they riffed and did a lot of improv. For Pritzker, the best scene is the makeup scene. It works even better when both men are on the couch, acting like two children whose mom told them they have to make up. That moment was full of improv and was hysterical.

Pritzker also praised the rest of the cast. The dynamic between the Nonnas was hysterical, truly hysterical. Their personalities are facets of them, so when they were together, viewers could feel it off-screen and on-screen. She gave special credit to Brenda Vaccaro. Pritzker noted that Vaccaro is no spring chicken, but she was there rain or shine, cold or warm, and never complained. She was a massive trooper.

Joe Scaravella, the Reservation Book, and the Real Restaurant

Joe Scaravella not only makes a cameo in one of the most powerful scenes of Nonnas. The credits are also filled with behind-the-scenes footage of Enoteca Maria, showing that the restaurant really is like a family. Pritzker explained that the team always knew the fact that the film was based on a real story was important. Early cuts of the movie did not say it was based on a true story at the beginning, but it became very clear that people needed to understand these were real people, not manufactured characters. The filmmakers wanted to nail it by showing the real Joe. Madison Wells shot behind-the-scenes material in the real restaurant while shooting the movie. During editing, they decided to use that documentary footage over the credits so audiences would truly understand.

Pritzker also shared a hilarious story about having Joe on set. He never stopped working, even while filming a movie about his own story. At one point, they were standing in video village, and he had a rolled-up thing. He unrolled it, and it was his reservation book. He was on his cell phone the whole time taking reservations. Pritzker asked if he had signed up with Resy, but he immediately shook his head. He explained that he learns more about a customer from the five minutes he talks to them while taking the reservation than he could ever learn otherwise. That personal connection was what mattered to him. When Pritzker once asked what would happen if she took the book while he was filming a scene, he did not find it funny at all. He said, 'My whole business dies.' There are only thirty seats, and he knows everyone who is in that restaurant.

She also recalled calling early to get a reservation for one of the actors. Joe was hesitant. He said he did not think he could do that because he had four regulars coming at seven and could not move them. The team told him, Joe, you kind of got to. Even so, Pritzker described Joe as a very cool cat and a really good guy. That spirit is exactly why this charming movie works so well.

Why Nonnas Still Matters

In 2026, Nonnas is still available to stream, and its message remains timely. It is a story about grief, reinvention, family, food, and community. It is also a reminder that independent, feel-good films can survive strikes, wildfires, tight schedules, and industry doubt. The movie features a remarkable cast, a real-life inspiration, and a production team that refused to give up. Additional interviews for the film included Vince Vaughn, Joe Manganiello, Lorraine Bracco and Brenda Vaccaro, and director Stephen Chbosky with writer Liz Maccie. For viewers who love comedies with heart, Nonnas offers a seat at a very special table. 🍝🎬