‘Beach Read’: Emily Henry’s Leads Are Patrick Schwarzenegger & Phoebe Dynevor
What To Know
- Emily Henry’s novel Beach Read is being adapted into a movie.
- Phoebe Dynevor will star as January, and Yulin Kuang is writing and directing the adaptation.
- On April 14, Patrick Schwarzenegger was announced as Gus.
Emily Henry fans, our Gus and January are here!
On April 14, we learned that Patrick Schwarzenegger, best known for his role in The White Lotus, would be playing Augustus “Gus” Everett opposite Bridgerton‘s Phoebe Dynevor. Dynevor was cast as January Andrews in February.
The actor posted the Deadline article announcing his casting and wrote on Instagram, “I’m so excited for this!!! First – let me say thank you to @emilyhenrywrites for the opportunity! I will do everything possible to make the fans happy & proud and bring your brilliant writing to life. PS- my wife is obsessed with you! @phoebedynevor I can’t wait to bring these characters to life with you. It was a pleasure working opposite you through these chemistry reads. And to @yulin.kuang for your direction & conversations about these characters and their stories. I can’t wait to embark on this journey with you.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do [romance],” Dynevor reflected to Collider. “So it felt like all the pieces were in place to make like a really beautiful romance film [that] hopefully everyone will see. And hopefully the people that love the book will enjoy, and we’ll also get a new audience.”
Ahead of Schwarzenegger’s casting, Dynevor claimed she was as in the dark as fans were, per an interview with Collider published on April 6. “But maybe by the time this comes out, we’ll know,” the actress teased. “I’m also seeing all the fans and who they’d like, and often I’m like ‘Yeah! He’d be great! Is he available?'”
Beach Read updates have been coming out steadily, and January and Gus’ story will be here before you know it. So, Swooon has gathered all the latest details about the movie’s release date, cast, and more below.
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. Filming is set to get underway in 2026.
Who is in the Beach Read cast?
When Dynevor’s casting was announced in February 2026, Henry shared the exciting news on her Instagram and wrote, “More soon 😏.” Now we know that Gus will be played by Patrick Schwarzenegger. In the official announcement, Deadline revealed, “The search for Gus was an extensive process that took place over many months, and while initially he was a dark horse candidate and an unexpected choice, Schwarzenegger’s tape and chemistry read with Dynevor blew away filmmakers and the studio.”
When Swooon brought up the fan-castings to Kuang, she confirmed that she was aware of them, though she couldn’t reveal if any fan picks had auditioned for the role of Gus. Many names were tossed around, including Fabien Frankel, Logan Lerman, and Dev Patel, but Schwarzenegger ultimately won the role.
According to Deadline, “The search for Gus was an extensive process that took place over many months, and while initially he was a dark horse candidate and an unexpected choice, Schwarzenegger’s tape and chemistry read with Dynevor blew away filmmakers and the studio.”
Will Beach Read get a theatrical release?
Yes, Beach Read will have 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. However, with 20th Century Studios holding the rights to Beach Read, Kuang has let us know that Beach Read will be different. In her post about casting Schwarzenegger, Kuang teased, “⛈️☀️ see you in theaters soon 🕶️”
She also gave insight into why Schwarzenegger was perfect for the role. “‘Patrick is a slow burn,’ is what I wrote in my notes after meeting him for the first time,” she began. “There was something about the way he talked about his feelings on love and romance that I couldn’t forget. But I was unconvinced we’d found our Gus, because I knew we had to be exhaustive in our efforts, given how important this character is to readers. We saw a lot of men for this role. We reviewed a lot of tapes, sent a lot of avails checks and took a lot of meetings over a six month period. I have always maintained that we are not casting a character, but a relationship. Once we knew Phoebe would be our January, my efforts became more focused and specific – not on who would play the best Gus according to the text, but who would play the best Gus opposite our specific January.”
Kuang continued, “That meant in-person director sessions and chemistry reads with Phoebe. The moment Patrick sat across from her, there was something electric in the room with us. “There’s magic to chase here,” I wrote in my notes afterwards. I checked in with Phoebe after the reads and she said, “It’s obviously Patrick, isn’t it?” and I thought to myself, ‘So she feels it too.'”
Kuang previously revealed in a Washington Post interview that 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. After her father’s death, January moves into his beach house for the summer. Literary fiction author (and January’s 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
