Author Jenny Han talks to Hypable about her favorite parts of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie adaptation and what she hopes audiences will get out of the movie.
The wait is almost over — the Netflix adaptation of your next favorite YA romcom will be out this Friday! We’ll finally all be able to see Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Song Covey navigate their feelings and fake dating shenanigans!
Hypable spoke to author Jenny Han about adapting To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before for the small screen, and it made us even more hyped than we already were for the movie’s Friday premiere.
What’s been your favorite part of this process of having your book made into a movie?
I’ve loved seeing the world come to life — Lara Jean’s room, especially. There are so many little details, like the Nancy Drew collection, and the art on her walls.
What is your favorite scene that made it into the film and what do you like about it?
Hot tub scene. I’ll leave it at that!
What scene that was added is your favorite and what do you like about that?
There’s a scene between Lara Jean and her dad that is really sweet. It made me cry!
What was it like watching the actors bring your characters to life?
Completely surreal. Lana and Noah have amazing chemistry, and sparks definitely fly when they’re in scenes together. I also loved the sensitivity Noah brought to the role.
What’s it like to be able to give young Asian-American women an opportunity to see themselves in stories?
It’s an absolute honor. I hate that it’s taken so long to see an Asian-American girl be the lead of a teen movie, but I am so happy that it’s finally happening. I just want to see more. More representation, more stories told, more points of view, more everything!
How involved were you in the creation of the movie?
I always say that the book and the movie are two separate works of art, and the movie is the producers’, the director’s, the actors’ vision, and my job as the author was to help them carry out their vision and still keep to the spirit of the book. I think we succeeded in that!
Is there any chance that we might see the rest of the trilogy made as well? What would you like to see in those films?
I would love to see that happen, mainly because there are a few characters from the sequel that I am dying to see on screen. Ahem, John Ambrose McClaren.
What do you hope new fans get from it?
I hope that they will fall in love with the characters the same way I have.
What do you hope book fans will get out of it?
I hope the movie gives the fans the same cozy, warm feelings the books gave them.
Do you foresee yourself continuing in that universe? Maybe a flash-forward or a series focused on Kitty (man, that’d be fun!)?
Never say never, but probably not! I have so many more stories I want to tell, and I think I left Lara Jean in a good place.
What’s next on your plate? What can your fans look forward to in the future?
I’ve been working on a new YA book for ages. It’s still very much in the early stages, but it’s finally starting to come together in my head.