Emily Henry has taken the rom-com publishing world by storm in recent years, putting out six romance novels since 2020, all of which have made themselves comfortable on various best-seller lists. That incredible track record—not to mention the delightfully swoon-worthy plots and broad appeal of the books—has resulted in five of those six novels being snapped up for on-screen adaptations. (And, let’s be honest, it’s only a matter of time until some studio or other picks up the rights to this year’s Great Big Beautiful Life, too.)
The book-to-screen deals were made slightly out of order, with Henry’s second adult novel, People We Meet on Vacation, set to be the first to hit screens, with a Netflix movie due out in early 2026. But the film version of her first rom-com novel, Beach Read, should be close behind. 20th Century Studios claimed the distribution rights back in 2023, with a writer-director already in place.
We haven’t heard much about the project since then, but while we eagerly await more details about the film-ification of January and Gus's love story, we’ve rounded up everything we do know about the Beach Read film so far. (Plus, in the meantime, there are plenty more book-to-screen adaptations on the way for quite a few #BookTok-approved romance novels, from TV versions of Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus hockey romances and Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing romantasy series to the long-awaited The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo movie, based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved best-seller.)
What is 'Beach Read' by Emily Henry about?
The 2020 novel—the first of Henry’s adult rom-com books, after she got her start in YA—tells the story of January Andrews and Augustus “Gus” Everett, two very different writers. January releases lighthearted romance novels with mass appeal, while Gus has earned critical acclaim for his darker literary fiction.
When they find themselves living in neighboring lake houses for a summer, both struggling with writer’s block due to respective personal issues, they strike a bet where each must write a book in the other’s genre. In typical “opposites attract” fashion, their very writerly flirting and regular hangouts soon blossom into something more than just a friendly professional relationship. (We’ll just leave a “moderate” spice rating here.)
Of course, as things ramp up, the aforementioned emotional baggage in each of their (recent) pasts seeps back in, leading to some unfortunate miscommunications and misunderstandings. Both January and Gus must decide whether they’ll take the leap into the unknown of a new relationship or stick with what’s comfortable and familiar.
When is the ‘Beach Read’ movie adaptation coming out?
There isn't a release date for Beach Reach available yet. It’s still listed only as “in development” on IMDb. Since 20th Century Studios acquired the rights to the novel in April 2023, a tentative release window hasn't been revealed, nor have any details about where the movie will be released. However, if the Disney-owned distributor is any indication, it may end up on Hulu.
Extrapolating from another EmHen adaptation, however, suggests that the Beach Read film could arrive within the next year or two. The first of her books to receive the page-to-screen treatment is People We Meet on Vacation, the rights to which were acquired in October 2022. The first casting announcements arrived about two years later, and the film is now set to be released by Netflix in January 2026. If Beach Read follows a similar-ish timeline, it could be here by the end of next year.
Something we do know is that at least a first draft of the script has been completed, as Henry reported as much to Variety in March 2024, adding that the next draft “should be ready to do more with very soon.” A few months later, writer Yulin Kuang confirmed that she’d delivered a draft to the studio and was “awaiting notes,” but said things were still in “the very early stages of development” at the time.
the paul mescal and ayo edebiri romcom is imminent pic.twitter.com/l63VRHpHYdMarch 17, 2024
Who is in the 'Beach Read' film adaptation cast?
That’s another thing we don’t know for sure, but that hasn’t stopped fans from coming up with their own dream casting choices for January and Gus. The rumor mill kicked into high gear in the spring of 2024, when both Henry and Yulin Kuang—who’s set to write and direct the Beach Read movie—reposted a selfie of Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal on Instagram, leading many to speculate that the (frankly iconic) duo were in consideration to helm the Beach Read adaptation.
Unfortunately, for now, it remains only speculation, as Henry told Variety at the time that she couldn’t “confirm or deny anything with casting for any movie.” However, she did admit that the actors would be “amazing” choices to play characters from multiple of her books.
Who else is involved in the 'Beach Read' movie?
Yulin Kuang has been attached to the Beach Read movie as writer and director since the beginning of the project. It’s in capable hands: Not only is Kuang a romance writer in her own right, having published her debut novel How to End a Love Story in 2024, but she’s also serving as screenwriter for another EmHen production, People We Meet on Vacation. Her other Hollywood credits include the Hulu comedy series Dollface and The CW's I Ship It.
In a July 2024 interview with Brit + Co, Kuang said she was “pretty focused on Beach Read at the moment,” but held back from revealing too much about her adaptation of the novel.
“I truly believe that art belongs to the audience once it’s out in the world. And so saying too much, it feels prescriptive, you know?” she said. “So I hope they enjoy it. I hope that they know that a lot of care is going into the adaptations. I remember what it’s like to be watching with anxious hearts about the announcements of all my favorite adaptations. And so that’s the main thing. I hope they know that I really, really care.”
Meanwhile, also attached to the film is the production company ORIGINAL Film. It's existed since 1990 and is responsible for iconic franchises like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions, while its rom-com bona fides include '00s favorites like Sweet Home Alabama and Made of Honor.
What has Emily Henry said about bringing 'Beach Read' to the screen?
In the March 2024 Variety interview, Henry called Kuang’s first draft of the Beach Read script “fantastic” and said her take on the story “feels really different and special.”
The author explained, “It’s so different than I would have thought to approach it. It feels like a big swing, which I am all about, because I think the worst thing that a movie can be is boring and mediocre. If we’re doing this, let’s really go for it,” the author said about Kuang's work on the film so far.
She also spoke more broadly about the role she plays in the various screen adaptations of her novels, saying, “I trust the directors that we have, and I think that they really get it. They also know that I’m always watching my readers, and I want them to be happy. So in my involvement in every single adaptation, my main goal is to represent the readers’s interests.”
