Emily Henry is addressing the criticism surrounding the casting choices for the film adaptation of her novel, "Beach Read." During an appearance on "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" on Tuesday, the best-selling author reflected on the fan reactions to the casting of her 2020 romance novel's upcoming film adaptation, starring Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger as the romantic leads.
After it was announced that Schwarzenegger would be portraying Gus Everett, the online fan discourse was polarized, with many noting that the actor was not the ideal choice for the character. Despite the mixed response, Henry had remained silent—until now.
"I had to sit back and let it unfold," Henry said of the mixed fan reactions. "It's our baby—the readers' and my baby—but it's also the filmmakers' and the studio's baby. I'm on this journey with the readers, and we have to trust their vision."
Henry then expressed her support for the film's writer-director, Yulin Kuang, saying, "Yulin Kuang, our writer-director, is so brilliant. I know she'll do an amazing job." Kuang previously co-wrote the screenplay for Netflix's adaptation of Henry's novel "People We Meet on Vacation."
The casting has been highly anticipated, with fans eagerly awaiting to see how Henry's "EmHen universe" love stories would translate onto the screen. Some even shared their dream casting choices. Henry teased that other castings have been made that she's excited about.
"I keep getting emails about everyone else they're locking in, which isn't public news yet, so I can't share," she said. "But I'm really excited. They're starting shooting very soon."
"Beach Read" follows romance writer January Andrews, who no longer believes in love, and Augustus Everett, a literary writer enduring severe writer's block. When these polar opposites find themselves living in neighboring beach houses in Michigan, they eventually devise a plan to help each other get out of a creative rut. Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. Despite writing their next book, they may just find love in the process.
Kuang shared on social media, "'Patrick is a slow burn,' is what I wrote in my notes after meeting him for the first time. 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."
She continued, "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 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. 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."
Kuang added, "'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.'"
Schwarzenegger said to Henry about joining the EmHen universe, "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!"
"Beach Read" is the latest book from Henry, dubbed the queen of rom-coms, to get the adaptation treatment. Three of her other novels ("Book Lovers," "Funny Story," and "Happy Place") are also in development to become films. "People We Meet on Vacation," starring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader, began streaming on Netflix in January.
