News that Patrick Schwarzenegger will appear in the upcoming film adaptation of Emily Henry’s Beach Read is receiving mixed reviews from devoted readers.
“I’m so excited for this!!!” Schwarzenegger, 32, captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, April 14, confirming that he would be taking on the role of Gus in the rom-com. “First — let me say thank you to @emilyhenrywrites for the opportunity!”
He added, “I will do everything possible to make the fans happy & proud and bring your brilliant writing to life. PS — my wife is obsessed with you!”
He also tagged costar Phoebe Dynevor, who will be starring as January in the film.
“I can’t wait to bring these characters to life with you. It was a pleasure working opposite you through these chemistry reads,” Schwarzenegger continued, shouting out writer Yulin Kuang for her “direction” and “conversations about these characters and their stories.”
The social media caption concluded, “I can’t wait to embark on this journey with you.”
After Schwarzenegger’s post, the comments section quickly filled with posts of support from many of his famous friends.
“I LIKE THIS,” Taylor Lautner wrote. Rob Lowe’s son, Johnny Lowe, added, “Is ur beach bod ready?”
Schwarzenegger also received comments from fans of Henry’s book, who were quick to share their own congratulatory messages.
“CONGRATS KING, YOURE GOING TO CRUSH IT!!!! CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!” one fan wrote. Another added, “Patrick I trust youuu.”
A third commenter expressed that they were “freaking out” over the casting news.
There were, however, some fans who didn’t seem too thrilled by the news. One Instagram user posted #NotMyGusEverett. Others express that this was not their “vision” of the character.
The #BookTok community also had some thoughts.
“Cut the cameras … keep it in the vault I can’t do this,” one TikTok user captioned a video of them shaking their head. The video was set to “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams.
While the overall vibe on TikTok was not positive, one social media user stayed diplomatic, noting that they “try not to be a hater.”
Henry’s 2020 Beach Read follows the story of two rival authors, January Andrews and Augustus Everett, as they experience writer’s block. The two find themselves renting neighboring beach houses in the summer and, in an attempt to finally put pen to paper, make a bet to swap genres. What starts as a summer of challenges ends as a summer of love.
Along with Beach Read, Henry has several adaptations in the works, including Funny Story, Book Lovers and Happy Place.
“Everything’s moving, and I feel like everybody has been so excited about this movie, and I feel like it’s helped everything kind of gain momentum,” the author told Us Weekly exclusively in January, referencing her People We Meet on Vacation adaptation, which premiered on Netflix that month. “I’m really hopeful that I will have more concrete updates to share. But I can say, everything is still moving.”
