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After years of speculation, it's official: Phoebe Dynevor will star as January Andrews in the new movie adaptation of Emily Henry's Beach Read. Without a doubt, this has been the most-discussed movie cast of all of the upcoming rom-coms, and fans have name dropped everyone from Ayo Edebiri to Zoey Deutch to Dakota Johnson — but we finally know who's leading Emily Henry's upcoming adaptation.
Here's the latest update on Emily Henry's Beach Read, and the cast, before the movie hits theaters.
Who's in the Beach Read cast?
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Emily Henry announced that Phoebe Dynevor would star as January Andrews on February 19, 2026. "More soon 😏," the author (who's also penned Book Lovers, Funny Story, and People We Meet on Vacation) wrote on Instagram.
At her core January is a romantic and manages to strike a balance between sassy and cautious. I think Phoebe is the perfect star to bring this character to life, but we're only halfway there. We'll have to see who gets cast as Gus Everett — and the EmHen fans can barely contain their excitement. (It's me, I'm fans).
Where can I watch Beach Read?
Beach Read doesn't have a release date quite yet, but it'll be in theaters soon. Fingers crossed we get a 2027 release date.
What is Beach Read about?
Amazon
Beach Read follows romance novelist January Andrews (Phoebe Dynevor), who moves to her late father's Michigan beach house for the summer to get ready to sell it. As she uncovers secrets and confronts both her writer's block and grief, she finds herself drawn to her next door neighbor Gus, who also happens to be her college rival, and a "very serious" writer.
As Gus and January begin to grow closer, they decide to strike up a deal: they'll switch genres and see what stories they can come up with.
I think Beach Read is Emily Henry's best book because of how nuanced, layered, and beautiful the story is. While the book does have romance, it also deals with family secrets, the expectations we put on ourselves, and relational trauma. Not to mention the fact the books January and Gus write add a whole other layer of nuance and emotion to the story. I can't recommend it more!
Who else is involved?
Writer Yulin Kuang "Really, Really Cares" About Getting Her Emily Henry Movies Just RightSela ShiloniBeach Read is written and directed by Yulin Kuang (who also wrote People We Meet on Vacation for Netflix). Neal H. Moritz will produce alongside EP Karina Rahardja.
What are the other Emily Henry books being adapted?
Amazon
Book Lovers, Happy Place, and Funny Story are all being adapted for the screen, and you can watch People We Meet on Vacation on Netflix now!
Stay tuned for more news on Beach Read before it hits theaters!
