It’s almost time to hit the beach. Back in 2023, 20th Century Studios announced that Emily Henry’s beloved 2020 novel Beach Read would be adapted into a movie. While it’s been kind of a long wait, the rom-com is finally coming together, with its superstar leads being selected at long last.
Beach Read is a particular standout of Henry’s romance novels, marking her first big hit in adult fiction. It became an instant fave on BookTok after its release in 2020, and readers have been fan-casting the lead roles of January Andrews and Augustus “Gus” Everett ever since.
The book follows two rival authors who find themselves staying in neighboring beach houses by chance. After they both reveal they’re struggling with writer’s block due to recent tragedies, January and Gus concoct a challenge to try to get their creative juices flowing. January, a romance writer whose books always have a happy ending, agrees to try to write a dark, literary novel about a cult. And Gus, who’s known for his serious, cynical work, tries to write a love story.
Obviously, the chemistry between January and Gus is going to be the key to making a movie adaptation work, and we finally know who will be bringing this duo to life
The Cast Is So Perfect
Phoebe Dynevor is staking her claim as the queen of romance novel adaptations. First, she courted nobility in Bridgerton, and now she’ll be putting pen to paper as author January Andrews. Dynevor’s casting was announced on Feb. 19 — she was the first confirmed cast member for Beach Read.
It took another two months for the production to reveal who’d be starring opposite Dynevor as Gus, but on April 14, it was confirmed Patrick Schwarzenegger had been cast as the male romantic lead. Deadline reported that there was an “extensive” casting search for Gus, but apparently Schwarzenegger’s chemistry read with Dynevor “blew away” the filmmakers.
However, some fans were surprised by Schwarzenegger’s casting — prompting Henry herself to comment on the choice. “I also have to sit back and let it unfold,” she said during a May 19 appearance on Today. ”It is our baby — the readers' and my baby — but it's also the filmmakers' baby and the studio's baby, and I'm along for the ride with the readers and we just have to trust the vision.”
Henry added, “Yulin Kuang, our writer-director, is so brilliant and I know she's gonna do an amazing job.”
Plus, she teased some future cast announcements. “I also just keep getting emails about everyone else that they're locking in, which is not public news yet,” she added. “So, I can't share, but I'm getting really excited. They're starting shooting very soon.”
On May 28, Deadline confirmed two of those exciting cast additions: Kevin Bacon and Andie MacDowell. The actors will be joining Dyvenor and Schwarzenegger, though the details of their roles are still under wraps.
The Movie Is In Very Capable Hands
Yulin Kuang is both writing and directing the screen adaptation of Beach Read. Kuang previously was a co-writer for 2026’s People We Meet on Vacation, which was the first Henry book to be made into a movie.
The Premiere Date May Still Be A While Away
A premiere date has yet to be officially announced. With the previous Henry adaptation, People We Meet on Vacation, principle casting was announced about a year and a half before the film premiered. If this follows that same schedule, then Beach Read may not be released until 2027.
This article was originally published on 02.19.26
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