Prime Video’s new show The Summer I Turned Pretty was given the greenlight for its second season before it even premiered on Friday, June 17. That might mean viewers haven’t had a chance to binge the show and get obsessed with it, but it sure sounds like they will.
Here’s everything to know about the series adaptation of Jenny Han’s YA novel The Summer I Turned Pretty and its Season 2. Some spoilers ahead.
Will there be a season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty?
Yes, Deadline reports that the second season will definitely be happening. They announced in April that it will be released in the summer of 2023, though no specific date is out yet.
What is The Summer I Turned Pretty about?
The story follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin, a girl who finds herself in a love triangle between two brothers named Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has had a longtime crush on the older brother, Conrad, and he’s finally returning her interest—and then suddenly his younger brother, Jeremiah, is fighting for her affections.
The context for this development is that they’re having one last summer at Cousins Beach, where the boys and their mom have traditionally met with Belly’s family every year. The brothers’ mom, Susannah is battling cancer and ultimately decides she no longer wants to go through aggressive treatment. They’re still all trying to have a “normal” summer together, but that proves to be more and more challenging.
There are two more books to Han’s original series, so the second season might follow the plot of the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You. In it, Susannah has passed away and Belly’s new relationship with Conrad fractures under the stress. He ends up running away from home, and while on a road trip to find him with Jeremiah, she finds herself turning to the younger brother. This could be the plot of season 2, but there were some changes from the first book in the first season and in an interview with E! News in December of 2022, Han confirmed some stuff will definitely be different.
“There’s always gonna be changes here and there, so I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” she said. “I’m the one doing the changes, so I guess get mad at me, because I’m the one who’s changing it!”
Who is returning for season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty?
The show stars newcomer Lola Tung, Jackie Chung, Rachel Blanchard, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Alfredo Narciso and Minnie Mills, Colin Ferguson, and Tom Everett Scott. Briney and Casalegno will almost certainly be back as the brothers who continue to fight for Belly’s affections across the three book series by Han. It’s also likely that we will be seeing Belly’s family return again, though Rachel Blanchard, who plays Susannah, may or may not be there if the character has passed in the time between seasons.
In late August, Variety reported that Kyra Sedgwick had joined the cast, as well as 19-year-old Elsie Fisher, who is playing a character named Skye. Fisher was given a warm welcome by the cast on the show’s official Instagram account.
Behind the scenes, Han will be back as a showrunner, this time working with Sarah Kucserka. Her former co-showrunner, Gabrielle Stanton, will continue as an executive producer, along with Han, Kucserka, and Karen Rosenfelt. Han also wrote the show’s pilot, and continues to have a strong influence on the way the onscreen version of her story develops.
Then in April 2023, Minnie Mills announced in a long tribute post to the show that her character Shayla would not be back this season, though she did not specifically say why.
She did imply the door is open on her side for Shayla to return, writing, “To everyone who loved Shayla, who felt empowered or inspired by her, she will always be in the first season for you to come back to whenever you need her, and if I ever get the chance, I would love to continue her story.”
Has it begun filming yet?
Yes! The show announced on social media that they’re “rolling on season 2,” sharing a photo of Han and Tung together on set. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for more sneak peeks as production continues.
Planned release is for summer of 2023.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.