The “Team Conrad” and “Team Jeremiah” debate isn’t quite over yet. Even as The Summer I Turned Pretty just debuted its series finale on Prime Video just a few hours ago, we now have confirmation of where and how the story will continue.
On Wednesday, during the red carpet event for the show’s finale in Paris, France, it was announced that a The Summer I Turned Pretty movie has officially been greenlit. Jenny Han, who wrote the bestselling series of books that the show is based on, will be directing the film, which she is co-writing alongside Sarah Kucserka. While exact plot details are unknown at this time, the movie is being called a conclusion of the events of the series.
“There is another big milestone left in Belly’s journey, and I thought only a movie could give it its proper due,” Han said when announcing the movie. “I’m so grateful to Prime Video for continuing to support my vision for this story and for making it possible to share this final chapter with the fans.”
“The Summer I Turned Pretty has struck a chord with audiences everywhere, creating moments of joy, nostalgia, and connection that have made it a global sensation,” said Courtenay Valenti, head of film, streaming and theatrical at Amazon MGM Studios, and Vernon Sanders, global head of television at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios in a joint statement. “We’re proud of the series’ extraordinary success and couldn’t be more excited to partner again with Jenny Han to bring fans an unforgettable next chapter.”
There’s more to Belly’s story…
This is the latest shake-up in how The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s story has been told onscreen, after Season 3 got several more episodes than the previous two chapters of the show. It also continues a long and winding road of hit television shows culminating their stories in movies, from Downton Abbey to Veronica Mars to that Community movie that we might eventually get.
While some outside of the show’s bubble might scoff at the idea of The Summer I Turned Pretty getting that treatment, it makes sense on multiple levels. For one thing, the series finale (without wading too far into spoilers, although you can read about them here) intentionally left off certain events that could easily bleed into the movie, with a note airing at the end of the episode indicating that there was still more story to tell. Going into the finale, fans had theorized that some sort of oversized storytelling was arriving, whether that be an hours-long final episode or something else entirely.
And, honestly, the impact of The Summer I Turned Pretty justifies this kind of culmination. In a world that seems desperate for monoculture and shared experiences, the weekly reaction to this season has been difficult to ignore. I love the TikToks of people reacting to Belly and Conrad’s interaction in the airport at the end of Episode 8, whether by themselves or in a crowded bar filled with other fans. That episode, while not even being the finale, felt like a moment similar to how previous generations experienced the end of M.A.S.H. and Friends, just with way more complicated relationship dynamics.
If fans were that stoked about a story that still had more to tell, then the actual movie finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty has the potential to be special. I just hope for two things: that it screens in theaters (so fans can have even more of that communal experience) and that the movie has as many Taylor Swift needle drops as humanly possible. For all we know, we might be on TS13 by the time that happens!
(featured image: Prime Video)
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