Book to Screen
‘Outer Banks’ Star Rudy Pankow Joins Colleen Hoover Romance Adaptation in First Post-Show Role
Just months after Rudy Pankow‘s character, JJ Maybank, was killed off Outer Banks, the actor has scored an exciting new gig. On Wednesday, April 16, Deadline reported that Pankow will star in the upcoming film adaptation of Colleen Hoover‘s romance novel Reminders of Him.
This is Pankow’s first role since it was revealed that he will not be returning for the fifth and final season of Outer Banks.
Reminders of Him also stars Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers. Hoover and Lauren Levine are writing the screenplay, which is based on the novel that came out in January 2022, and Vanessa Caswill is set to direct.
Casting specifics have not been revealed, although Monroe is confirmed for the lead role of Kenna Rowan. Withers will play Ledger Ward. Pankow will likely be taking on the role of Scotty Landry, Kenna’s first love and Diem’s father.
The book tells the story of a “troubled young mother yearning for a shot at redemption,” according to Hoover’s website. The story centers around Kenna Rowan, who returns home after serving five years in prison and hopes to reunite with her young daughter.
“The bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself,” the synopsis says. “The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.”
The summary concludes, “The two form a connection despite the pressures surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.”
The movie is currently set for a Valentine’s Day weekend release on February 13, 2026.
