Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are back in Grace and Frankie: New Beginnings (2026), the long-awaited epilogue film that picks up two years after the Netflix series finale, delivering a seamless continuation that feels less like a revival and more like slipping into an old, comfortable pair of shoes — albeit ones with sharper edges and deeper reflections on aging.
Created by original showrunners Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, the film reunites the iconic duo as Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, still sharing their San Francisco beach house. Grace (Fonda), the polished cosmetics mogul, grapples with irrelevance in a youth-obsessed world, while Frankie (Tomlin), the free-spirited artist, confronts mortality with her trademark defiance. A family bombshell — an unexpected business inheritance — thrusts them into startups, boardrooms, and financial chaos, armed only with irreverent humor and hard-earned wisdom.
Fonda brings steel and sophistication to Grace, her sharp tongue masking fears of fading away. Tomlin radiates chaotic energy as Frankie, philosophizing over joints and paintbrushes. Their chemistry remains electric, forged over decades of friendship since 9 to 5 (1980). Returning cast members like Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, June Diane Raphael, and Brooklyn Decker add nostalgia, while new dynamics inject fresh life.
The film balances laugh-out-loud comedy — Grace’s snarky driving lessons, Frankie’s “spiritual GPS” — with tender moments. A funeral scene turns into a “life party” with champagne and jazz, celebrating resilience over mourning. Themes of aging, loss, and reinvention pulse through, proving friendship deepens with time.
Midway, Grace faces rekindled romance and vulnerability; Frankie battles an influencer “rebranding” her as “quirky grandma chic.” It’s a rallying cry for authenticity, defying society’s youth fixation.
Premiering at festivals to rave reviews, New Beginnings has a 9.2/10 fan rating, praised as “triumphant and laugh-out-loud funny.” The Guardian lauded its “bite and brilliance,” Variety its “reflection without melancholy.”
Ending with Grace at sunset — Frankie’s paintbrush falling as if saying “Still here” — it’s a perfect goodbye-or-hello. Friendship never retires; it evolves.
For fans missing the series (Netflix’s longest-running comedy), this heartfelt epilogue is essential — proving Grace and Frankie remain gloriously mismatched legends.
