First Look at Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’ Sends Whoopi Goldberg and Friends to the Hamptons
Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’ has quickly become one of the streamer’s most anticipated comedies, thanks to a cast packed with genuine Hollywood legends. When the project was announced on July 27, the streamer confirmed that Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox would lead the ensemble, with Tasha Smith in the director’s chair.
The film also marks a notable partnership behind the scenes. What’s on Netflix reported that it’s the first collaboration between Charles D. King’s MACRO Film Studios and Higher Ground, the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, with Michelle Obama serving as an executive producer.
Now fans finally have a look at the leading ladies together. First-look images shared by Film Updates show the stars gathered on a sunny waterfront lawn lined with white Adirondack chairs, dressed in bold colors and fabrics ranging from leopard print and satin to sleek all-black ensembles.
The photos quickly spread online. One fan admitted the cast alone had them locked in, while another joked about Goldberg’s ‘Sister Act’ character, Deloris Van Cartier, being reunited with a familiar background singer.
WOMEN LIKE US, a new girlfriends dramedy directed by Tasha Smith, is now in production!
— Netflix (@netflix) September 25, 2026
Starring Vivica A. Fox, Vanessa Williams, with Jenifer Lewis and Whoopi Goldberg. pic.twitter.com/nvdcpP31m9
The film follows a recently widowed woman who is dragged to the Hamptons by her lifelong best friends and sister on what should have been her 30th wedding anniversary, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The producers’ synopsis explains that the weekend becomes a reckoning with grief, marriage, and the sisterhood that has carried them through the years.
It also promises a hopeful message. The women ultimately come to realize that dreams don’t have an expiration date, a theme Netflix Tudum highlighted when first unveiling the project.
Smith directs from an original script by Ali Kinney, known for ‘Ginny & Georgia’ and ‘Love Life’, with additional writing from Tracy Oliver of ‘Girls Trip’ and ‘The Blackening’, according to Variety. Smith has built a strong directing résumé with credits including ‘Bel-Air’, ‘Harlem’, ‘Mayor of Kingstown’, and ‘Survival of the Thickest’.
She’s also no stranger to Netflix. Deadline noted that she previously helmed ‘Tis So Sweet’, an upcoming faith-based drama for the streamer starring Taraji P. Henson and Joey Bada$$. James Lopez and Poppy Hanks are producing for MACRO, alongside Anikah McLaren and Mark R. Wright for Higher Ground, while King also serves as an executive producer.
Each lead brings decades of beloved work to the project. Power 98 FM pointed to Goldberg’s classics like ‘The Color Purple’ and ‘Sister Act’, Lewis’ memorable turns in ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ and ‘Black-ish’, Williams’ role in ‘Ugly Betty’, and Fox’s credits including ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Set It Off’.
Their recent work shows they’re as busy as ever. Deadline reported that Goldberg has appeared on ‘Hacks’ and ‘Godfather of Harlem’, Lewis is coming off the animated hit ‘GOAT’ and Netflix’s ‘The Upshaws’, Williams recently appeared in ‘Velma’ and ‘Girls5eva’, and Fox was seen in Amazon MGM’s revenge thriller ‘Is God Is’.
The production was slated to begin shooting in New York City this fall, and these new images suggest the Hamptons getaway is officially underway. Netflix hasn’t announced a release date yet, but with this lineup, anticipation is already sky-high.
Are you excited to see Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox together in Netflix’s Women Like Us?
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