Book to Screen
‘Problematic Summer Romance’ Dream Cast: Aidan Turner & More Picks For Ali Hazelwood’s Age Gap Love Story
Since her debut novel, The Love Hypothesis, came out a little under four years ago, Ali Hazelwood has churned out eight knockout rom-coms. (And that’s not even counting her novellas!) With her latest release, Problematic Summer Romance, which made Swooon’s romance best sellers list for May, Hazelwood continues to prove that quantity and quality aren’t mutually exclusive.
True to form, the author creates whip-smart FMC with Maya Kilgore (a character you might recognize from her other novel, Not in Love, which focuses on her brother, Eli). When she travels to Italy for Eli’s wedding, Maya is forced to face his best friend, Conor. He and Maya have had feelings for each other for about three years, but he repeatedly shuts down her advances.
Why, you may be wondering? Well, when the wedding takes place, biotech businessman Conor is 38, and Maya’s a 23-year-old physics grad student. (Now, the title makes sense.) Somehow, their 15-year age gap didn’t keep us from rooting for the pair to finally get together. From the banter to the yearning, we ate up everything Hazelwood dished out in Problematic Summer Romance.
Since The Love Hypothesis is already being made into a movie, we’re manifesting that Problematic Summer Romance gets the same treatment. What better way to do that than by putting together our dream cast? Tell us what you think of our picks in the comments below!
Aubri Ibrag as Maya Kilgore
The Buccaneers’ Aubri Ibrag is pretty dang close to how we pictured Maya. She has her curly dark hair, and she’s even Maya’s exact age (at least, she is as we write this). She just needs blue contacts, and she’s good to go, but it’s not a dealbreaker!
Not to mention, based on what we’ve seen of her in The Buccaneers as the sharp and charming Lizzy, Ibrag could easily step into Maya’s shoes. Like Lizzy, Maya has dealt with hardship — both of her parents died when she was a teenager.
Aidan Turner as Conor Harkness
We think Rivals’ Aidan Turner — sans the mustache that he sports in that show — would be perfect to play Maya’s love interest. Not only is he Irish like Conor, but he also fits his description to a tee. Tall, brown eyes, dark hair, and a strong jawline? Check, check, check, and check. We think he could easily embody Conor, with his no-nonsense attitude and guarded personality.
David Corenswet as Eli Kilgore
We want Superman’s David Corenswet to be cast in everything, so it comes as no surprise that we think he’d be a good fit for the charming Eli. (And once we see him as James Gunn’s Clark Kent later this summer, we’re sure that it’ll be even easier to envision him as Eli.) He’s got the dark hair and blue eyes, and at six-foot-four, we could believe that he played hockey in college. Side by side with Ibrag — especially if she got contacts — we think they could pass as siblings.
Kaya Scodelario as Rue
Biotech engineer Rue comes across as emotionally distant and serious, though it’s clear she deeply loves those in her circle, including fiancé Eli and soon-to-be sister-in-law Maya. From from Skins to The Gentlemen, Kaya Scodelario has played a number of enigmatic characters in her day. Plus, Rue figure skates, a skill Scodelario learned for her role in Netflix’s Spinning Out. It’s not crucial to Problematic Summer Romance‘s story, but hey, it is a bonus!
Yara Shahidi as Nyota
For the witty Nyota, a bankruptcy lawyer and Maya’s confidant, we picture Yara Shahidi. The character is a handful of years older than Maya, and Maya likens Nyota to a supermodel, which we think Shahidi could pass for easily. Her character on Black-ish and Grown-ish is smart and confident, which is how Nyota comes across from the get-go in Problematic Summer Romance.
Phoebe Tonkin as Avery
We don’t get much of a sense of Avery’s personality in Problematic Summer Romance, aside from the fact that she’s clearly intelligent — like many in the wedding party, she works with Conor and Eli — and personable. She charms Maya instantly, much to her chagrin, since she’s also Conor’s ex. Maya is a bit intimidated by her looks when they meet at the Italian airport. All of that considered, we think The Originals’ Phoebe Tonkin could fit the bill.
Dominique McElligott as Tamryn
Conor’s stepmother is only a few months younger than him, but they have a close relationship, both having dealt with Conor’s difficult father and ruthless siblings. She’s also smart and capable — before marrying Conor’s dad, she was instrumental to growing his business. Dominique McElligott could take on the role, considering she portrayed those traits as Queen Maeve in The Boys. Plus, she’s also blonde, Irish, and fairly tall, matching Tamryn in that way.
Maya Erskine as Minami
We think PEN15’s Maya Erskine could pull off the brilliant Minami, especially after she flexed her range in Prime Video’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith series. Minami became a mother figure to Maya after her parents’ deaths, and she also once had a romance with Conor — which sounds a little weird, we know — before marrying someone else.
(Who should play her husband, Sul, is a trickier question, simply because we don’t learn much about him other than the fact that he’s stocky and rarely speaks. Anyone could do it, really.)
Jessica Williams as Tisha
For Rue’s outgoing and supportive childhood friend Tisha, Jessica Williams came to our minds. Maya describes Nyota’s older sister as easy to talk to and laugh with — and if that doesn’t sound like Williams’ hilarious character in Apple TV+’s Shrinking, we don’t know what does.
Jared Keeso as Axel
For loveable himbo Axel, an NHL player that played with Eli in college, who could be a better fit than Shoresy‘s Jared Keeso? Keeso himself is a former junior hockey player, and he has comedy down pat, which is key for Axel’s character.
Miles Heizer as Paul
We don’t learn much about Paul, Axel’s younger brother, other than that he’s a flirty engineer with wire-rimmed glasses, blue eyes, and wavy, light-colored hair. He’s also about four years older than Maya and takes an interest in her once she arrives in Italy. The photo above is evidence enough that Miles Heizer has got the look. Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why is more than enough proof that he has the acting chops, so we have no doubt he could take on the role.
