Summer I Turned Pretty’s Jenny Han Shares Update on Movie Release Date

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Don’t schedule in a trip to Cousins Beach just yet. 

Jenny Han, the creator of The Summer I Turned Pretty, announced she’s finished writing the script for the upcoming movie. The project was first revealed back in September.

Jenny revealed at The Wrap’s 2025 Power Women Summit that she had just finished writing the script, but they hadn’t started filming yet.

The author, age 45, has made significant progress on the story, which she also wrote as a book series. However, she says the release won’t happen when fans originally expected.

Jenny explained that while many people were expecting it to be released this Christmas, it unfortunately won’t be happening – it’s just not feasible.

The creator of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before recently pointed out that filming and editing for the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty was finished a month before it started streaming on Amazon Prime.

Jenny, who will also direct the film, explained that the show premiered in July. Because of this, they were working on the show right up until the last minute, leaving no time to film the entire movie.

What’s next for Belly (Lola Tung), Conrad (Christopher Briney), and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) in the movie? According to Jenny, a significant event is coming up for them.

During an appearance on Today on September 18th, the actress hinted that there’s another exciting development for her character, Belly, and that her story will continue.

That’s pretty much all Lola and Chris revealed. They actually confessed they have no inside information about the project at all.

Lola shared in a September interview with Deadline that Jenny has already completed a first draft of something, and they’re hoping to learn more about it soon.

Chris agreed, saying he was glad he wasn’t involved in the writing process, as he would have included something silly or ridiculous.

As a huge fan, I’ve been replaying all the drama from season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty in my head, and I’m really curious to see how it stacked up against the third book. I’ve been digging into all the changes and key moments, and I’m excited to share what I’ve found!

Though the show opens with Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) wrapping up her first year of college, season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty is set during the summer after her junior year of high school.

In the show, Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) and Belly had been dating for four years, not just two, by the time Jeremiah cheated with Lacie Barone (Lily Donoghue).

In the opening moments of the new season, before entering her freshman dorm, Belly’s brother Steven Conklin quickly changes her name on the door from “Isabel” to simply “Belly.” Later, her college friend Anika Johnson starts calling her by that nickname as well.

However, in the book, Belly didn’t correct anyone who called her by her government name.

She explained in her book that she didn’t intentionally choose the name Isabel; it simply came about by chance. She recalled a specific moment, struggling with her key, when she looked up and noticed the name ‘Isabel’ displayed on her door, spelled out in sparkly, adhesive rhinestones.

She told her roommate, Jillian Chapel, that her name was Isabel, and from then on, everyone at Finch College called her that.

Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the first book in a series and later a Netflix movie, came out three years after We’ll Always Have Summer. However, the series included subtle references to the earlier book as a nod to fans.

Belly showed her affection for the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies by displaying a photo of herself and Jeremiah dressed as characters from the films in her dorm room. The sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, even appeared as a clue in a crossword puzzle Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) and Belly worked on together during Christmas.

During the first season of the TV series, the show started to delve into Conrad’s mental health, particularly his anxiety attacks, as he dealt with the news that his mother, Susannah Fisher (played by Rachel Blanchard), had been diagnosed with cancer again.

By the third week, the Stanford student was meeting with a therapist as he prepared to go back to Cousins Beach for a memorial event honoring Susannah. They talked about his worries about attending, though he didn’t discuss the difficulties with his romantic relationships. The important thing is that he’s going, isn’t it?

Belly found out she’d been accepted into a study abroad program in Paris for the next semester, which unfortunately meant she wouldn’t be able to live with her friend Anika that fall. This happened before Jeremiah even asked her to marry him.

But in the book, she alters her plans to move because she gets engaged suddenly. Anika is understanding about it, texting Belly, “I’m not mad. It’s just disappointing we won’t be living together, but I’ll make it work.”

Although Taylor Jewel (Rain Spencer) and Steven’s relationship isn’t a major focus in the books, it becomes a significant side plot in the newest season of the show. Both Taylor and Steven are currently in other relationships – Taylor is dating Davis, and Steven is with Mia – but they’ve been secretly involved with each other since reconnecting in Manhattan over spring break, the same week Jeramiah was unfaithful to Belly.

While driving, Steven confessed to Taylor that he’d ended things with Mia, hoping they could try dating again. This news was a lot for Taylor to take, and she asked him to stop the car. As she stepped out, Steven was hit by another vehicle while turning around, putting him into a medically induced coma. Fortunately, he fully recovered.

Although the same can’t be said for their relationship—at least at this point in the season.

In the story, Belly accepted a marriage proposal from Jeremiah, even though he had been unfaithful to her during spring break. Their relationship was notably unhealthy and overly reliant on each other.

She described his proposal in chapter 10, saying he looked at her with intense determination and sincerity. She knew his face incredibly well—perhaps better than anyone, even better than she knew her own. She explained this came from countless hours spent watching him sleep, gently tracing the lines of his face with her finger.

She explained that she wanted to share his life, to be there for everything, good and bad. She didn’t want to look at him one day and wonder about a scar or injury she hadn’t witnessed. It was his face, she said, that she truly loved.

Throughout the story, it’s revealed her choice is also an attempt to deny her feelings for Conrad, a parallel seen in the television series as well.

Jeremiah’s deception was ultimately what led him to propose to Belly. She confessed to Taylor that Steven’s accident made her realize life is fleeting. However, it was also obvious that she was deliberately avoiding her true feelings for Conrad.

Taylor’s mother, Lucinda (played by Kristen Connolly), doesn’t feature prominently in the book. However, her financial situation becomes important in the Amazon series, impacting the complicated relationship between Taylor and Steven. Steven discovers Lucinda’s hair salon is struggling financially after she tries to get him back in touch with Taylor.

Even though Taylor had ended things with Steven, she didn’t want his help anymore. Instead, she teamed up with Lucinda to reduce expenses and eliminate her debt. This difficult time also explains why Taylor struggled to rely on others, even someone she’d been close to like Steven.

When Jeremiah and Belly’s relationship began, he was still a junior at Finch and didn’t have to worry about graduating yet. Later, he found out he wouldn’t be graduating on schedule. This added stress was a key reason Belly originally decided not to study abroad in Paris the following semester.

Now that Lucinda was more involved in the show, she and Laurel’s daughter helped Belly find her wedding dress and organize her bridal shower, as Laurel didn’t support the wedding.

The show introduces Kayleigh as Adam Fisher’s secretary and the woman he has an affair with while his wife, Susannah, is battling cancer. In the novel, Jeremiah and Conrad’s father also has a secretary, Denise Colletti, who is responsible for wedding planning, but their relationship remains professional.

In the book, Belly’s parents, Laurel and John (played by Colin Ferguson), had a clear and separate coparenting relationship. However, the TV series took a different turn in season three: after a conference and some wine, they unexpectedly ended up together.

After Steven’s car accident in episode two, Laurel and John didn’t notice Belly’s frantic calls. This left them feeling incredibly guilty about their impulsive night together.

After a period of conflict, including disagreements and John missing a memorial for Susannah, he and Belly started reconnecting. This became clear when Belly couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving, but a video call with Laurel revealed that she and John were spending the holiday together.

Before Belly’s wedding, Taylor revealed that Conrad was the one who persuaded Laurel to attend.

You won’t believe what I just heard! Apparently, Conrad actually went to see my mom. He somehow talked her into coming to the bridal shower, and the news traveled fast – my mom told me everything! It’s just… a lot to process, especially hearing it so late at night.

During the show, Belly suddenly understood that Conrad had stepped in to help, which made her feel very confused while dancing. She’d even taken an edible at her bachelorette party and while on the dance floor, kept replaying cherished memories of them together, set to the song “we can’t be friends.”

Belly originally planned to study abroad in Paris but missed the application deadline when she decided to stay with Jeremiah. After their wedding fell through, she finally got to spend a year in Paris, taking classes online, meeting new people, and even having a short-term relationship with someone named Benito.

The show gave Belly’s time studying abroad much more attention than the books did. Although readers only learned about her semester in Spain through a letter from Conrad, the series devoted three full episodes to her experiences in France.

For Jenny, expanding on Belly’s time away from her family was needed for the character arc.

Fans will be surprised by how much of the story takes place in Paris and how the series concludes,” Jenny shared with Entertainment Weekly in September. “It’s more than just a quick wrap-up after the main events.

Honestly, while I was in Paris, I just kept working on the scripts – I couldn’t stop! Every day, I realized there was more to add. It’s because living on your own, especially for the first time in a new country, is such a huge experience, and it’s so important for Belly’s journey as she figures things out and grows up. I really wanted to capture all of that.

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2025-12-04 05:18