Second Act
“Her talent was real. Her résumé was not.”
Synopsis
Value Shop assistant manager Maya Vargas wants only one thing for her 43rd birthday -- a promotion. While her résumé may not scream upper management, her track record certainly does; she is an innovator who listens to her customers and delivers results. When she loses the job to a college-educated candidate, Maya sets out to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts -- and it's never too late for a second act.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Second Act | Official Trailer [HD] | Coming SoonOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2018-07-19
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Jennifer Lopez
Maya
Vanessa Hudgens
Zoe
Leah Remini
Joan
Milo Ventimiglia
Trey
Treat Williams
Anderson Clarke
Lo Mutuc
Ariana
Annaleigh Ashford
Hildy Ostrander
Alan Aisenberg
Chase
Freddie Stroma
Ron Ebsen
Dave Foley
Felix Richter
Larry Miller
Weiskopf
Dierdre Friel
Big Ant
Lacretta
Suzi Teplitsky
Dan Bucatinsky
Arthur Coyle
Dalton Harrod
Dilly
John James Cronin
Otto
Phil Nee
Philip Jiang
Meng Ai
Dr. Chow
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 21, 2018
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 3, 2019
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$16M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$72.3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
4.52x
+$56.3M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Peter Segal
- Screenplay & Story
- Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham
- Original Score
- Michael Andrews
- Original Title
- Second Act
- Country of Origin
- United States of America, China
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Production Budget
- $16M
- Worldwide Gross
- $72.3M
- Production Studios
- STXfilms, Nuyorican Productions, Universal Pictures, TMP Films, Huayi Brothers Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Peter Segal
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham
Michael Andrews
David Taicher, Ueli Steiger
Jason Gourson
Benny Medina, Justin Zackham, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Donald Tang
Department Leadership Roster
Timothy J. Feeley
Visual Effects Supervisor
Peter Segal
Director
Benny Medina
Producer
Justin Zackham
Producer
Jason Gourson
Editor
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
Writer
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
Producer
Richard Hoover
Production Design
Justin Zackham
Writer
Jennifer Lopez
Producer
Ueli Steiger
Director of Photography
Michael Andrews
Original Music Composer
Molly Rogers
Costume Design
Patricia Field
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 0 — Approved without age restriction.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Second Act.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Second Act.
Hulu - Romance Movies
Curated list of Romance on Hulu (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 21, 2026.
Hulu - Comedy Movies
Curated list of Comedy on Hulu (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 21, 2026.
Movies Watched in 2026
Watched
All movies watched by me
New English Movies
New in English
Similar Titles to Second Act
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
8.1
7.4
8.0
7.7
6.5
7.2
5.4
6.0
7.5
5.8
6.8
6.0
5.9
5.9
6.2
5.3
6.6
6.5
6.4
5.3
More Like Second Act
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Second Act
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Second Act about?
Value Shop assistant manager Maya Vargas wants only one thing for her 43rd birthday -- a promotion. While her résumé may not scream upper management, her track record certainly does; she is an innovator who listens to her customers and delivers results. When she loses the job to a college-educated candidate, Maya sets out to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts -- and it's never too late for a second act.
Who directed Second Act?
Second Act was directed by Peter Segal.
Who stars in Second Act?
The principal cast of Second Act includes Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, Milo Ventimiglia, Treat Williams.
When was Second Act released and how long is it?
Second Act was released in 2018 with a total runtime of 1h 43m.
What was the box office and production budget of Second Act?
Second Act had a reported production budget of $16M and grossed $72.3M at the worldwide box office (4.52 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Second Act?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Second Act was composed by Michael Andrews.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Second Act?
Second Act holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 0 (FSK 0 — Approved without age restriction.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).