All About Lena Dunham’s Good Sex, Starring Natalie Portman

It’s a rom-com summer for Lena Dunham. Fresh off the release of her latest Netflix series Too Much, the screenwriter and producer is re-teaming with the streamer for the film Good Sex. This time she’s recruited Natalie Portman, too. However, Dunham-heads will have to wait for Good Sex (the puns write themselves, really), as the film just began production in New York City in July 2025. In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the project, from its plot line to its star-studded cast.

What is the plot of Good Sex?

Good Sex follows the romantic follies of Ally, a therapist played by Natalie Portman who finds herself in a love triangle between two men—one a decade her elder, and one who is significantly younger. Sound familiar? Celine Song’s Dakota Johnson-starring Materialists followed a similar plot, coincidentally.

“After spending a decade in a failed relationship, pragmatic couples’ therapist Ally is turning 40 and reluctantly dipping her toe back into the New York dating scene. But she gets more than she bargained for when she meets two men—one in his 20s and one in his 50s—who show her there is no set formula for good sex,” reads an official Netflix description.

Who is in the Good Sex cast?

Co-starring with Portman in Good Sex are Mark Ruffalo and Tucker Pillsbury. If you don’t know the former name, it's because he’s better known as the Gen Z-beloved musician Role Model and is making his screen acting debut. Meg Ryan, the star of Nora Ephron rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally... and You’ve Got Mail, will join the trio in an undisclosed role, as will Rashida Jones and Tramell Tillman.

In an interview with Variety, Dunham explained that she first met Ryan during the London stop of her friend Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. “I decided, it’s now or never, and I’m going to shoot my shot,” she said, adding Ryan “couldn’t be a lovelier person.” She added, “Shout-out Taylor—thank you for that. She brings everyone together; she makes the world go ’round.”

How did it wind up at Netflix?

Though Dunham now has a first-look deal with Netflix, this project wasn’t part of that recent partnership. Good Sex (with Portman already attached) caused a dramatic bidding war amongst Hollywood’s biggest studios. Warner Bros, Amazon, and Apple all attempted to acquire the film, but ultimately Netflix landed it in a deal worth $55 million.

When does Good Sex premiere?

Good Sex is still in production, but those craving a Dunham-producer rom-com can stream Too Much on Netflix in the meantime.