Dream Cast
‘Better Than the Movies’ Dream Cast: Our Picks for Liz, Wes, & More
It’s about time that BookTok’s favorite YA enemies-to-lovers romance, Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter, gets the adaptation treatment.
Better Than the Movies follows Liz Buxbaum, a teenage hopeless romantic whose childhood crush, Michael, unexpectedly returns to town, causing her to do anything within her power for him to see her as more than the “Little Liz” he once knew. As Michael hits it off with Liz’s sworn enemy, her next-door neighbor, Wes, it becomes clear that the only way to win Michael’s heart is through him (think To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets 10 Things I Hate About You).
Throughout the book, Liz and Wes indignantly work to put their differences aside, fake dating to prove to Michael that Liz is more than the kid he once knew, all while catching real feelings for each other along the way. Riddled with rom-com references and a pre-made swoonworthy soundtrack, we know we’re not the first to say that this book is ripe for onscreen potential.
As we eagerly await any level of adaptation news from Painter and her team—it has to happen one day!—we couldn’t help but dream up a cast that we would love to see portray Liz, Wes, and a couple of the other Better Than the Movies characters. Read on to see the actors and actresses that we envision taking on the characters in this beloved story.
Do you agree with our dream cast? Comment below with who you would cast in a Better Than the Movies adaptation!
Sadie Sink as Liz
At the heart of Better Than the Movies is Liz/Lizzie/Little Liz/Libby Buxbaum, a perpetual daydreamer with an enormous crush on a kid who just moved back to town. To catch his attention, Liz has to prove that she is leading lady material, making it clear that she is no longer the weird little girl he once knew. When it comes to casting Liz, we would love to see Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, whose recent role in Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain told us everything we need to know about her undeniable comedy chops. Sprinkle in a little whimsy and a whole lot of romanticizing nothing, and we’ve got the perfect Liz.
Sam Nivola as Wes
Don’t worry, Sam Nivola, there are zero deadly protein shakes in Better Than the Movies… s far as we can remember. Wes Bennett is a high school baseball legend who just happens to be Liz’s annoying neighbor. From childhood pranks to their park spot war, Wes is absolutely not Liz’s perfect guy. At least, not at first. We would love to see The White Lotus Season 3’s Sam Nivola take on a romantic lead, especially in this hilarious enemies-to-lovers role.
Corinna Brown as Joss
Every hopeless romantic rom-com lead needs a tell-it-like-it-is bestie. For Liz, that’s her spunky BFF, Joss. While Joss is firmly against Team Michael, Liz sacrifices their friendship to devote her time to winning her crush over before prom. To portray Joss, we’ve tapped Corinna Brown, who is best known for playing Tara Jones in Heartstopper. Seeing as the beloved teen drama actress just turned up in The Summer I Turned Pretty as well, we’re thrilled to see her join even more high school and college love stories.
Charlie Bushnell as Michael
Of course, we couldn’t forget about Liz’s colossal crush, Michael, who returns to Omaha after moving away years ago. Unfortunately for Liz, Michael immediately befriends Wes instead of her upon his arrival, making it a lot harder for her to get his attention. To play this crush-worthy cutie, we’ve gone with Percy Jackson and the Olympians star Charlie Bushnell, whose rapidly rising star would be the perfect addition to this YA cast.
