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An Emily Henry novel reads like a classic rom-com in the making.
How apt, then, that the romance author has optioned several of her beloved titles to be made into movies or TV series. Classic beachside love affairs, five of Henry’s novels are currently slated for adaptation: “People We Meet on Vacation”; “Beach Read”; “Book Lovers”; “Happy Place” and “Funny Story.”
But how does Henry feel about letting go of the characters on her pages and allowing them to be interpreted for the screen?
“It can be a battle,” she told USA TODAY in a recent interview ahead of the release of her latest book “Great Big Beautiful Life.”
Her role, she says, is “to be the person who is shouting ‘the readers won’t like that’ or ‘they’ll love that.’” She’s looking forward to letting the projects unfold.
‘People We Meet on Vacation’ movie and more Emily Henry adaptations to come
“I’m so, so glad that it’s happening and I’m really excited for readers and that is ultimately why I have enabled myself to let go enough for this to happen is for the readers,” Henry says.
Book-to-screen adaptations can land a beloved book’s story in tumultuous waters. Plot points can be cut or changed. Fans can object to casting choices. Then there’s the media circus and gossip that can follow, most recently seen in actor drama tied to BookTok favorite “It Ends With Us.”
“It is so hard and weird and painful and it’s humbling in ways that are really beautiful and ways that are really horrible,” Henry says. “When you are working on an adaptation and you’re the author of the original thing, you are the least important person in every room if you’re even in the room.
“That can be hard and painful to loosen your grip that much,” she admits. “It can be a battle because as the original writer, you know, the audience very well, and you’re attuned to what they love and what they don’t like.”
That’s just part of the deal, though, she concedes, pointing out that “you can’t make a movie as one person,” so to see her characters on the big screen, she’ll have to loosen a bit to allow for competing visions of the love stories that have made her famous.
What’s next for Emily Henry?
Yulin Kuang, who is adapting “People We Meet on Vacation,” will also adapt “Beach Read” for film. “Happy Place” is being developed into a Netflix series with Jennifer Lopez’s production company, Nuyorican. And Henry herself is writing the script for the “Funny Story” movie.
Her newest novel, “Great Big Beautiful Life,” at over 400 pages, was a heavy lift − so the first thing on Henry’s docket is to take a “breather,” she jokes.
Then she may pivot back to another classic rom-com novel, a format her latest book strayed from slightly, and she’s looking forward to fans getting their eyes on an adaptation soon. No official release dates for any of the projects have been revealed, but Henry promises one will be ready soon.
“Hopefully we’ll have an adaptation out to view very soon, so that’s something I’m looking forward to,” she says.
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