Beloved New York Times Bestseller's Film Adaptation Just Revealed Its Cast and The Internet Has Thoughts

Emily Henry'sBeach Read is heading to the big screen, but the casting news has the internet divided.

After Patrick Schwarzeneggerannounced on Tuesday, April 14, that he will be playing Gus Everett in the film adaptation of Henry's beloved 2020 romance novel, the fans piped up.

The 32-year-old shared the news on Instagram alongside a tag to costar Phoebe Dynevor, who will be playing January Andrews opposite him. "I'm so excited for this!!!" Schwarzenegger wrote in his caption. "First - let me say thank you to @emilyhenrywrites for the opportunity!" He went on to add, "I will do everything possible to make the fans happy & proud and bring your brilliant writing to life."

For anyone unfamiliar with the source material, Beach Read follows two rival authors (January and Augustus) who find themselves renting neighboring beach houses over the summer. Stuck with writer's block, they make a bet to swap genres, and what starts as a creative challenge quickly turns into a slow-burn romance that built Henry a devoted readership. But now those readers have some feelings about who's been cast to bring it to life.

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"Break a leg!! (Literally) (drop the role) (quit) (decline)," one fan harshly wrote.

Another wrote, "I don't even mean this in a rude way but pls don't do this."

A third bluntly declared, "Ruined my favorite book."

But Schwarzenegger's famous friends were quick to show support in the comments. Taylor Lautner posted "I LIKE THIS," while Rob Lowe's son Johnny added, "Is ur beach bod ready?"

And some fans of the book were equally enthusiastic, with one writing "CONGRATS KING, YOURE GOING TO CRUSH IT!!!!" and another adding, "Big win for the girls (i'm the girls)."

Beach Read is one of several Henry adaptations currently in the works, alongside Funny Story, Book Lovers, and Happy Place.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM.