‘Beach Read’: Everything We Know About the Emily Henry Romance Adaptation
What To Know
- Yulin Kuang is writing and directing the movie adaptation of Henry’s novel Beach Read.
- Kuang gave Swooon an update on casting in January 2026.
- A month later, Kuang revealed Beach Read‘s filming status and if it’ll get a theatrical release.
If we had to pick one person to be in our corner as Beach Read fans, it’d be Yulin Kuang. Kuang, who also worked on the script for the Netflix adaptation of author Emily Henry‘s People We Meet on Vacation, is writing and directing the movie version of Henry’s Beach Read.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Kuang described how precious book-to-movie adaptations were to her in her youth, which informs her approach to Henry’s works. “What would I want as somebody who is a massive fan of the books?” she recalled asking herself. “Adaptation has to be a love letter that’s a work of art unto itself.”
That’s not the only Beach Read insight Kuang shared. After the director told Swooon that casting was underway in January, she confirmed to The Washington Post that she was preparing to shoot Beach Read this year. January and Gus will be here before you know it, so Swooon has gathered all the latest updates about the movie’s release date, cast, and more.
What is Beach Read‘s release date?
Beach Read is moving full steam ahead. The adaptation was announced in April 2023, but an official release date has not been revealed yet.
Will Beach Read get a theatrical release?
Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation got a streaming-only release on Netflix, and her Happy Place and Funny Story movies will follow suit. What does that mean for Beach Read? We aren’t sure yet, but Netflix doesn’t own the rights to that book: 20th Century Studios does.
Furthermore, in Kuang’s Washington Post interview, she said it was important to her that Beach Read be released in theaters. “The parts that you look forward to as a romance consumer, as a reader, as a viewer, those parts when you’re all together — it’s like church. You can feel that buzz,” she said. “And I think that’s something that we need.”
Who is in the Beach Read cast?
Beach Read has yet to announce its actors, and the internet hasn’t been shy about making suggestions since the adaptation was announced, from Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal to Simone Ashley and Dev Patel. When Swooon brought up the fan-castings to Kuang, she confirmed that she was aware of them. She couldn’t reveal if any fan picks had auditioned for the roles of January and Gus.
What is Beach Read about?
Beach Read is a romance novel about a romance author who no longer believes in love. When January Andrews moves into a beach house for the summer, literary fiction author (and her former college rival) Augustus Everett becomes her neighbor. To solve their mutual writer’s block, they decide to switch genres and teach each other the ins and outs of each other’s work.
Beach Read, TBA
