‘Beach Read’ Finds Its January! Everything We Know About the Emily Henry Romance Adaptation
What To Know
- Henry’s novel Beach Read is being adapted into a movie.
- Phoebe Dynevor will star as January.
- Yulin Kuang is writing and directing the adaptation.
From Bridgerton to the Emily Henry universe! After director Yulin Kuang told Swooon that Beach Read casting was underway earlier this year, we finally know who’s going to play January in the romance adaptation: the Diamond of the Season herself, Phoebe Dynevor.
Dynevor was announced as the movie’s lead on February 19. In Henry’s best-selling book, successful romance novelist January struggles with writer’s block after her father’s death. When she heads to Michigan to sell his beach house, January falls for her former college rival.
Kuang, who also worked on the Netflix adaptation Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation, is also set to translate Beach Read from novel to screenplay. “What would I want as somebody who is a massive fan of the books?” Kuang said in an interview with The Washington Post. “Adaptation has to be a love letter that’s a work of art unto itself.”
January and Gus’ story 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. Kuang told The Washington Post that filming begins in 2026.
Who is in the Beach Read cast?
January Andrews will be played by Phoebe Dynevor. Henry shared the exciting news on her Instagram and wrote, “More soon 😏.”
Beach Read has yet to announce its Gus, and the internet hasn’t been shy about making suggestions since the adaptation was announced, from Paul Mescal to 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 role of Gus.
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.”
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
