For years now, fancasting for the book-to-screen adaptations of Emily Henry’s novels has been a major point of conversation among fans. Now, with People We Meet On Vacation’s debut on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, the hype for her next movies, including Beach Read, is even higher than it was. So, when I interviewed Yulin Kuang, the screenwriter of the Netflix rom-com, I asked her about Beach Read and the ideas fans have for its stars, considering she’ll be sitting in the director's chair for that adaptation.
In response, she told me she’s well aware of what the fans want for Beach Read. In fact, she had her assistant create a PowerPoint that dove into all the fancasting for the project's main characters, January and Gus. Explaining why she had her assistant, Sophia Chu, do this, Kuang told CinemaBlend:
I do care about it, and I am aware of it. So, I had an assistant who I tasked to go out into TikTok and Instagram and Twitter and basically look into the void that I cannot look at. And then I had her create a PowerPoint presentation for me of like, ‘This is what the fans are saying that they want.’
While Kuang didn’t name any names, I know Logan Lerman is a popular pick among fans for the author, Augustus Everett. Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri were among the fans' top picks for Gus and January, too, and Henry even nodded at that desire back in 2024 (via Variety). So, powerful and beloved names are being thrown around for the two authors who fall in love in Beach Read, and the director wanted to know about them.
Notably, she did tell me that the fans’ dreams don’t impact her choices very much. However, she does believe that what they have to say is important. That’s why she had this deck of slides made about it, as she told me:
It was important to me to be aware of it, because I come from fandom. My origin story is that I loved these books so much, and I would watch my favorite books being adapted with this like envy in my heart. And I was like, ‘Someday I will go through this looking glass and have power and influence over my favorite books.’ And so I kind of wanted to honor that by having her [create this presentation].
I love that so much, and I really appreciate how much this writer/director takes the fans’ thoughts into account. To that point, Kuang explained that this presentation was very “useful,” however, ultimately, it is not the thing driving casting. She said:
She created this deck for me to look at. And I was like, ‘Okay, this is useful information to have.’ But ultimately, it can't be the compass that's driving me. Like I kind of have to quiet those voices and listen to ‘What’s the movie that I'm trying to make?’
The director, who is also an author herself, broke down some of the challenges that come with fancasting as well. From these dream choices not being the best possible fit to logistical elements, like schedules and the simple desire to say yes to a project, there’s a lot that plays into why the fans' dream actors probably won't get the parts. She said:
When you make movies by committee, I think everybody can feel it, and it has to be kind of a singular vision. And I think it's also a matter of production realities, because it's like, ‘Oh, well, does that actor want to do it? Or what's their schedule?’ Like, all of these things, and it's really about the two of them.
Bringing her point back around to the movie that was just released on the 2026 movie schedule, Yulin Kuang told me that casting Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as Alex and Poppy in People We Meet On Vacation (which you can stream with a Netflix subscription) has prompted her to think about casting a pair rather than individuals. In her words, it’s all about “focusing in on that chemistry.”
So, that’s what they’re doing, as she confirmed that they are in the process of casting Beach Read, and I cannot wait to see who they pick. Maybe that PowerPoint will lead to a real casting; however, as Kuang explained, that can’t be the end all be all. So, keep an open mind, people, and keep dreaming big about Beach Read, because, clearly, the director is seeing what you’re saying.
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