Roku Serves Up New Romantic Comedy “Chef’s Kiss” Starring Adrienne Bailon-Houghton and Produced by Jaggi Entertainment
Rom-com to debut in February 2026 on The Roku Channel
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Oct. 6, 2025 – Today, Roku and Jaggi Entertainment announced that production has commenced in New South Wales on the Roku Original romantic comedy “Chef’s Kiss,” a delectable love story starring Adrienne Bailon-Houghton (“The Real,” “The Cheetah Girls”) and Tim Robards (“Voltron,” “Street Fighter”) set against the rich culinary and cultural backdrop of Tuscany. Bailon-Houghton also serves as executive producer of “Chef’s Kiss.”
Written by Amelie Bonnet, “Chef’s Kiss” follows Lauren Navarro (Bailon-Houghton), an ambitious American marketing executive tasked with revitalizing a family-run pasta sauce brand. On her journey, she encounters Mason (Robards), a passionate ex-commercial chef with uncompromising values and an irresistible charm.
Joining them are Julia Vosnakis (“From All Sides,” “Waltzing Matilda”) as Isabella, Nat Buchanan (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”) as Maddie, and acclaimed screen veteran Dina Panozzo (“The Last Days of the Space Age,” “Darby & Joan”) as Francesca Russo, the fiery matriarch caught between tradition and transformation.
Set in the rolling hills and sunlit piazzas of Tuscany, the film follows Lauren as she travels from the U.S. to Italy on a bold mission to rebrand Russo Pasta Sauce. What begins as a clash of cultures, values, and cooking philosophies slowly simmers into something much richer, as Lauren’s growing connections with both Mason and Francesca’s culinary legacy forces her to confront what truly matters most in love, life, and work.
“We’re so excited to kick off production on ‘Chef’s Kiss,’ a romantic comedy that features what our audiences already love – stories full of heart, humor, and connection,” said Morgan Pichinson, Roku Originals. “Our viewers devour rom-coms, especially during moments that matter to them, and we can’t wait to bring them a new love story to savour just in time for Valentine’s Day.”
The project is being brought to life by producers Steve Jaggi and Kylie Mascord, with Jaggi emphasising his delight in bringing this romance to the screen.
“Romance has always been at the heart of what we do,” said Jaggi. “‘Chef’s Kiss’ reflects our ongoing commitment to producing engaging, internationally appealing romance films, and we’re thrilled to be doing so in collaboration with Roku.”
“Chef’s Kiss” is overseen by Morgan Pichinson and Sabrina Lyall on behalf of Roku Originals. The project builds on Roku Originals’ existing line up of rom-coms including “This Time Next Year,” “Merry Little Mystery,” “Jingle Bell Love,” and “Jingle Bell Wedding.”
Production takes place in Sydney and the surrounding area, doubling for Italy, with the feature set to premiere on The Roku Channel in the U.S. and Australian cinemas through Romance Society next year.
The Roku Channel is available to stream for free on Roku devices or TVs as well as online at TheRokuChannel.com and on iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs, Google TVs, and other Android TV OS devices.
About The Roku Channel
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 500 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals. It is the #2 app on the Roku platform in the U.S. by streaming hours.
About Jaggi Entertainment
Jaggi Entertainment is a forward-looking film and television studio with a global outlook. From the hit romantic features Love is in the Air, You, Always, and the Royal in Paradise franchise to the Y.A, series Dive Club and the high-stakes action thriller Killer Whale, we create content that resonates with audiences worldwide. Our slate spans feature films, television movies, mini-series, and vertical dramas, with titles licensed broadly across international broadcasters, streamers, and distributors.
With a vertically integrated structure encompassing development, production, post-production, distribution and international sales, this integrated approach allows us to move quickly, adapt to shifting market needs, and consistently deliver premium stories.
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