Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani’s ‘The Lovebirds’ Gets Netflix Release Date

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae are coming to Netflix next month! The comedians’ new romantic comedy, The Lovebirds, has an official release date in May after it was first announced last month that the film would be available for streaming. The Lovebirds was initially planned for an April 3 premiere in theaters, but with the closure of movie theaters due to coronavirus, Paramount made a streaming deal with Netflix to release the movie.

Nanjiani confirmed the news on Twitter this morning in a video with Rae, calling her from his home to chat about what he’s watching on Netflix and suggesting that everyone watch The Lovebirds when it comes to the streaming service May 22. “Can’t wait for you to see it!” he wrote. Netflix also released its own trailer for the movie to announce the upcoming release date.

The Lovebirds follows Jabran (Nanjiani) and Leilani (Rae), a couple who accidentally gets caught up in a murder mystery and tries to prove their innocence. The film also stars Kyle Bornheimer, Anna Camp and Paul Sparks, and is directed by Michael Showalter, who also directed Nanjiani’s 2017 romantic comedy The Big Sick. The Lovebirds was first set to premiere at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, this year, before the festival was canceled.

With its Netflix release date, The Lovebirds is joining other films like Artemis Fowl and Trolls World Tour, which both premiered on streaming services and not on their planned theatrical release dates. Films like Sonic the Hedgehog, The Invisible Man, Onward, I Still Believe, Bloodshot, The Hunt, Emma, Birds of Prey and The Way Back also all premiered on VOD due to the coronavirus.

You can watch The Lovebirds when it premieres on Netflix May 22.

Stream The Lovebirds on Netflix May 22