Another Emily Henry adaptation is moving closer to the screen, and this time, it is Beach Read getting the Hollywood treatment. After People We Meet on Vacation arrived on Netflix in January 2026, attention is already turning to another of Henry’s best-loved romance novels. Beach Read, first published in 2020, is being adapted as a feature film by 20th Century Studios, with no official release date confirmed just yet.
Who Is Starring In Beach Read?
Phoebe Dynevor is set to play January Andrews, the romance novelist at the heart of the story, while Patrick Schwarzenegger will star opposite her as Augustus “Gus” Everett. Dynevor is still best known to many romance fans for leading the first season of Bridgerton, while Schwarzenegger comes to the project after high-profile roles including The White Lotus Season 3, giving the adaptation two familiar faces with plenty of buzz around them.
It is a pairing that makes a lot of sense on paper. January needs warmth, wit and a little emotional messiness, while Gus needs that brooding, guarded quality that can either be irresistible or deeply annoying, depending on how much coffee he has had and whether he has processed a single feeling that day. So, basically, classic Emily Henry hero territory.
What Is Beach Read About?
Beach Read follows January Andrews, a successful romance writer who is grieving the death of her father and dealing with a brutal case of writer’s block. She retreats to his beach house on Lake Michigan, only to discover family secrets she was never prepared for. Next door is Gus Everett, her former college rival and now a successful literary novelist. He is also struggling creatively, which leads the pair to make a deal: January will try writing literary fiction, while Gus will attempt a romance novel. Naturally, the “we absolutely will not fall for each other” part of the arrangement goes about as well as expected.
Who Is Making The Film?
Yulin Kuang is adapting and directing Beach Read for 20th Century Studios. Kuang also co-wrote the script for People We Meet on Vacation, making her a key creative figure in the growing Emily Henry screen universe, which should be reassuring for fans. Henry’s books are not just about the romance, even though the romance is obviously the thing everyone is screaming into their pillows about. They work because the characters have proper emotional baggage, sharp dialogue and a sense of humour that usually arrives right when things are getting a little too painful. Kuang feels like a strong fit for that balance, especially with a story like Beach Read, which is as much about grief, identity and creative burnout as it is about two writers slowly realising they might be perfect for each other.
When Will Beach Read Be Released?
At the moment, there is no confirmed release date for Beach Read. Unlike People We Meet on Vacation, which went to Netflix, this one is expected to receive a theatrical release through 20th Century Studios. With the two leads now cast, the project feels like it is finally moving from “book fans dream-casting every actor under the sun” into something much more real, and possibly much closer to production.
CultureCues Final Thoughts
Beach Read feels like one of the trickier Emily Henry novels to adapt, mostly because so much of its magic sits in the tension between what January and Gus say, what they write, and what they are both trying very hard not to admit. If the film gets that balance right, it could be exactly the kind of big-screen romance audiences have been missing: funny, wistful, a little painful, and full of the kind of chemistry that makes you want to immediately re-read the book. As a fan of a good slow-burn romance, I’m very much looking forward to seeing January and Gus make the jump from page to screen.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling, emerging voices and the cultural moments shaping modern entertainment.