A surprising real-life moment led to the creation of Netflix’s ‘Voicemails for Isabelle‘. Writer-director Leah McKendrick recently revealed that a conversation she overheard during a comedy show sparked the idea that eventually became the emotional film.
Personal experiences, family relationships, and years of reflection later helped turn that initial spark into a story that is now reaching audiences around the world. As viewers discover the Netflix rom-com, McKendrick is sharing the deeply personal journey behind its origins.
How A Comedy Club Moment Sparked The Idea For ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’
McKendrick first wrote Voicemails for Isabelle more than seven years ago. The Netflix romantic comedy, which is now streaming, stars Zoey Deutch as Jill, an aspiring baker struggling to cope with the death of her younger sister Isabelle. To stay connected to her sister, Jill leaves voicemails sharing updates about her everyday life.
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What Jill does not know is that Isabelle’s old phone number has been reassigned to Wes. As he listens to her messages, he becomes drawn to her personality and eventually develops feelings for her, leading him to seek her out in real life.
While speaking to PEOPLE, McKendrick explained that the voicemail concept came to her after attending a comedy showcase. One comedian joked about receiving 20-minute-long voicemails from her father discussing ordinary topics such as the weather and what he had eaten that day.
McKendrick recalled what happened next. “Then the next comedian gets on stage and she goes, ‘It’s so nice that your dad calls you. My dad hasn’t called me in three years.’ And everyone’s kind of like, ‘Ooh,’” McKendrick shared. “And then she’s like, ‘He’s dead.’ I was the only one who laughed. And then it really got the wheels turning, and I thought to myself, it’s so funny, this idea of a girl who keeps waiting for her dad to call her back.”
Why McKendrick Connected The Story To Her Sister
The idea continued to evolve as McKendrick reflected on her own family relationships. She explained that she would never expect a return call from her father because he often did not call back, even while alive. Her thoughts quickly shifted to her sister.
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McKendrick said, “And then I thought, ‘If my dad dies, I won’t be waiting for him to call me back because my dad doesn’t call me back and he’s alive.’ And then I thought if my sister died, I’d be waiting for her to call me back. And then I thought, no, if my sister died, I would just keep calling her.“
That realization became even more meaningful after her sister moved to New York for college. During that time, McKendrick regularly left her sibling long and emotional voicemails about everything happening in her life. She often spoke about difficult dates, career struggles, and the challenges of trying to succeed in Hollywood.
Looking back on those messages, she said, “I would just let it all hang out. And what a horror story it could be if somebody were to ever hear my most unfiltered self. But you would know that if somebody fell in love with that unfiltered self, it would be real.” Although ‘Voicemails for Isabelle‘ includes a central romance, McKendrick wanted the movie to celebrate something even deeper. She described the project as a “love letter” to her sister.
According to McKendrick, the experience of being loved by family teaches people what genuine love should feel like. She believes that those early family connections become the foundation for future relationships. That personal connection remains at the heart of Voicemails for Isabelle. While the film delivers a romantic story between Jill and Wes, its emotional core comes from McKendrick’s real-life bond with her sister. And the powerful family love that inspired the entire project.
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