‘Dawson’s Creek’ duo have reunited for film trilogy

This week, actor Katie Holmes is making her debut at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in the title role of “Hedda Gabler.”

But in a phone interview with the Union-Tribune last month, she spoke about another project that set the internet on fire last year.

Holmes, best known for her role in the TV series “Dawson’s Creek,” has reunited with her “Creek” co-star Joshua Jackson to co-star in “Happy Hours,” a trio of films that she is writing, directing and producing through her own Noelle Productions.

Holmes and Jackson played the on-again-off-again romantic couple Joey and Pacey in the “Creek” series, which ran from 1998 to 2003 on The WB network. Over the course of the series, the characters gradually figured out they were soulmates, but it wasn’t until the last video frame of the season finale that their happy ending was suggested.

The onscreen couple and offscreen friends filmed the first film of the trilogy last year and Holmes said that it’s now in post-production. She hopes to see it released in theaters by the end of this year.

In “Happy Hours,” Holmes and Jackson will play a couple who were lovers in their youth and have reconnected as adults, where they’re navigating the realities of life, families, career and love.

Holmes said getting back on-set with Jackson has been “amazing.”

“We obviously grew up together and spent a lot of time on camera together,” she said. “To not have that for 20 years and work with different people and have all these different experiences, and then come back together? ‘Oh my god, I remember how much I know you on camera and you know me on camera.’”

It’s so special, and it was so much fun because we work really well together. We always have a great time,” she continued. “And we have a shorthand that came back right away. Josh is so quick and he knows what the scene needs and what we’re going for. And he’s always open to trying anything. He’s a very generous actor, so he made the process so easy and enjoyable and challenging and fun in the best way.”

When Holmes and Jackson were spotted filming together on location in New York City last year, sharp-eyed “Dawson’s Creek” fans posted video and photos and speculated if Joey and Pacey were going to pick up where the series ended. Holmes said the characters in the film are different people, but she hopes fans of “Dawson’s Creek” will still want to see the new films.

“I didn’t feel a lot of pressure from the fans because we created two different characters from the ones we played a long time ago,” she said. “But there is an affinity for the two of us on screen together, so honoring that was important to me but also honoring this story.”

Holmes said she started her production company back in 2015 as a way to explore other facets of the film industry. Since then she has produced three films. “Happy Hours” Part One will be the fourth.

“I started by directing and it’s been inspiring. Doing theater informs me on how to be a better writer and director. Hopefully it’s made me a better actor. Everything kind of inspires everything else.”