Readers who found themselves deeply identifying with and falling for January Andrews from Emily Henry’s novel, Beach Read, know thatBridgerton’sPhoebe Dynevor has big shoes to fill. But Collider is happy to report that Dynevor is more than up for the task. In February, Dynevor was announced as the lead for the upcoming adaptation of Henry’s debut novel, which skyrocketed the author herself to massive success.
One of Henry’s other works, People We Meet on Vacation, has already been adapted for the screen, with Emily Bader (My Lady Jane) and Tom Blyth (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) as the romantic leads; it was a streaming success in its own right. The age of rom-coms is back, and for those who have followed Dynevor since Bridgerton and beyond, it’s exciting to see her step into the role of a modern rom-com leading lady.
For an upcoming episode of Collider Ladies Night, Dynevor sat down with Collider’s Perri Nemiroffto discuss her upcoming survival thriller, Thrash. During their wide-ranging conversation, Dynevor spoke about returning to the rom-com world with the role of January Andrews. “There’s so many reasons why I’m very excited about this project,” Dynevor told Nemiroff. The story follows novelist January, who attempts to get through a severe case of writer’s block on the coast of Lake Michigan. She runs into Augustus “Gus” Everett, a literary author, in a neighboring home. They agree to spend the summer writing in each other’s genres and, shocking no one, fall in love in the process.
With Henry working closely with writer/director Yulin Kuang on the film, the adaptation is in good hands. “Emily Henry is obviously huge in the book world. But this book in particular, Beach Read, the characters are so well-developed. They have such rich backstories,” Dynevor told Collider.
Dynevor Says It’s “Crazy” Not Knowing Who Her Gus Everett Is
When pressed about who her co-star is, Dynevor claimed she doesn’t know who the Gus to her January is. There had been an internet campaign for a long while for Logan Lerman to take on that role, but with his recently announced role in the upcoming reboot of 13 Going On 30, that possibility has greatly dwindled. “But maybe by the time this comes out, we’ll know,” Dynevor joked, suggesting an announcement may be right around the corner. However, at the time of publishing this story, Gus’ identity remains a mystery.
She did admit that it’s “crazy” to be in this liminal space, knowing she’s playing the romantic lead, without knowing who will be playing opposite her. She told Collider, “I’m also seeing all the fans and who they’d like, and often I’m like ‘Yeah! He’d be great! Is he available?'”
Ultimately, for Dynevor, “It’s always fun to go back into the romance world.” She speaks fondly of her memories of being number one on the call sheet for Bridgerton as she approaches being number one on the call sheet for Beach Read. She spoke fondly of her impending return to the rom-com world, telling Nemiroff:
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that. Well, since Bridgerton, really. So it felt like all the pieces were in place to make like a really beautiful romance film [that] hopefully everyone will see. And hopefully the people that love the book will enjoy, and we’ll also get a new audience.”