Production on the feature‑length conclusion to The Summer I Turned Pretty is set to begin April 27 in Wilmington, North Carolina, but the return to Cousins Beach comes with contract complication for the young ensemble at the center of the franchise. According to Deadline, several cast members are heading into the shoot with unresolved salary concerns that have lingered since the series’ breakout success last summer.
The Prime Video hit, based on Jenny Han’s sex bestselling novels and created and executive produced by Han, became one of the streamer’s most influential YA titles over its three‑season run. As Deadline notes, the series centers on Belly’s romantic journey, played by Lola Tung (Burning Questions, Air Canada: Travel Like a Canadian), whose relationships with brothers Conrad, played by Christopher Briney (Daliland, Want This), and Jeremiah, portrayed by Gavin Casalegno (The Vampire Diaries, Noah), helped propel the series into a global hit. Supporting cast members Sean Kaufman (Manifest, FBI: Most Wanted) and Rain Spencer (Good Girl Jane, The Super Man) also saw their profiles rise as the series expanded its audience.
But the rapid growth of the franchise has also highlighted a familiar issue in YA television: young actors often enter their first major roles with little leverage. According to Deadline, Tung, Briney and Casalegno began Season 1 earning between $35,000 and $40,000 per episode, a standard range for newcomers. The show’s first season performed well enough to earn a renewal, but it wasn’t until Season 2 — when the three‑episode premiere doubled the Season 1 debut audience — that renegotiations began in earnest.
Those talks, handled by Wiip in coordination with Amazon MGM Studios, were reportedly in advanced stages when the cast was asked to commit to the upcoming movie. As Deadline reports, the timing left several actors without the opportunity to fully capitalize on the massive popularity of Season 3, which culminated in a high‑profile finale event in Paris where Prime Video officially announced the film.
With production now weeks away, the cast is preparing to reunite on screen while the salary issue remains unresolved in the background. The movie will serve as the final chapter of Belly’s story — but behind the scenes, negotiations appear far from finished, according to Deadline.