'Beach Read' film adaptation starts production, gets release date

Phoebe Dynevor attends the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championships 2025 at Rio Grande Park on Dec. 18, 2025, in Aspen, Colorado. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images for St. Regis)

Production has officially started on the Beach Read film adaptation.

Director Yulin Kuang made the announcement in an Instagram post Monday. The photo features stars Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger in costume and on the set of the film.

"a crumb of bts from the BEACH READ camera test for you, dear reader .. can’t wait to show what we’ve been cooking up," Kuang captioned her post.

Kuang also announced the film's release date, which will be May 7, 2027.

"filming has officially commenced," she wrote. "see you only in theaters on May 7, 2027."

Beach Read follows the character January Andrews, a romance novelist who struggles with writer's block due to her grief after the death of her father and her discovery of the secrets he kept.

January spends the summer at her father's Michigan beach house as she prepares to sell it. While there, she reconnects with Gus Everett, a fellow author and her formal college rival. The pair spark an unexpected romance after they agree to partake in a writing challenge to get them out of their respective writing ruts.

Joining Dynevor and Schwarzenegger as part of the film's cast are Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, Kristin Davis and Tig Notaro. Kuang, who co-wrote the Netflix film adaptation of author Emily Henry's novel People We Meet on Vacation, directs Beach Read for 20th Century Studios from her own script.

This is the latest adaptation of one Henry's works, following the release of People We Meet on Vacation in January. Three of her other novels — Book Lovers, Funny Story and Happy Place — are also currently being adapted for the screen.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and 20th Century Studios.

Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:30PM by Mary Pat Thompson Permalink