Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty book series may think they know where the show will go with its central love triangle — but Gavin Casalegno isn’t ruling out an endgame shakeup.
“I do feel like there’s a strong chance that that’s a possibility,” Casalegno, 23, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, June 29, about the Prime Video series potentially straying from the original events in the books.
The actor, who plays Jeremiah Fisher, noted that he didn’t focus too much on his character’s future arc while filming season 2.
“I try to keep it as real as possible in that regard. Obviously, I know where he ends up going and what ends up happening. But I don’t emphasize on that. Because I think [author and showrunner] Jenny [Han] writes it so well that I’m able to kind of get there naturally without having to force it a certain direction,” Casalegno told Us while promoting his partnership with Bomb Pop. “So even though I know where he is going, I try to play it day by day because that’s all we can do. [We can] just live in the moment and make the most of our time right.”
Casalegno hinted at this character’s state of mind in season 2, saying, “[He has] emotional walls and a lot of freedom and love. … I feel like people are going relate to him and understand him better and really get to love the person he is because he has such a big heart for everyone around him.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is based on a book series of the same name, follows Belly Conklin’s (Lola Tung) relationships with childhood friends Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher. After brothers begin to compete for Belly’s affection, she explores her feelings for each of them before making a decision in the final book.
After season 1 debuted on Prime Video, Han, 42, hinted that her vision for the show may not mirror the events in the books.
“I really had to weigh what the fans are expecting with where the show is going creatively and find that balance,” she told Variety in June 2022. “My priority has always been that I want fans of the book to feel really satisfied by the story we’re telling, but also for them to know that this is an adaptation in a new medium, so it’s not going to be exactly the same. I think those are sort of the two things that are always in my head.
Han added: “I don’t want to spoil too much but the books have been out for a while. You never know what could happen with the show. I was open minded going into it. I was considering a lot of different possibilities.”
Casalegno, for his part, praised Han for helping guide the cast through the story lines each season.
“[Having her involved with the show is like] a cheat code. To have Jenny there — and just to bounce ideas off of her [is great] — because she, like, literally gave birth to Jeremiah, Conrad and Belly [in her books],” he told Us. “So, to be able to talk with her about what she had in mind with a scene is so great. For me as an actor, it helps the creative process just be so easy.”
While waiting for new episodes to start streaming, Casalegno has been enjoying the summer season by partnering with Bomb Pop.
“Childhood memories made me want to collaborate with Bomb Pop. Even getting to share [some] with my sister yesterday, it just reminds us of our grandma’s house,” the Texas native recalled. “It reminds me of grandma’s house and just a warm summer day in the sun and being able to spend it by the heat of the beach or the pool. It just reminded me of my childhood.”
In honor of National Bomb Pop Day, Casalegno teamed up with the company to create a limited-edition capsule collection of his favorite summer must-haves. Fans can unlock a new item each day until July 4th via SnapChat by scanning a Bomb Pop ice pop using the custom Snap lens.
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 starts streaming on Prime Video Friday, July 14. New episodes will continue to drop every Friday.
