The 32-year-old, whose wife Abbey Champion said he was “obsessed” with Emily’s book, detailed the audition process, highlighting what it meant to him to work opposite Phoebe.
“I can’t wait to work with you to bring these characters to life,” he said. “It was an honor to work across from you through reading chemistry.”
Immediately after his announcement, fans of the book expressed concern over his casting, with many stating that Patrick did not quite match the portrayal of Gus in the book.
“Every time I think about the casting of Beach Reid I get angry all over again,” one user wrote on X, while another, after seeing Patrick’s photo, responded: “I don’t think I’ll ever see the Beach Reid movie unless they change the casting.”
Despite the backlash, Phoebe said she was excited to share the screen with the Gen V actor.
“@patrickschwarzenegger surprised me in that room. I was so excited to see him bring Gus to life,” she wrote on her April 14 Instagram Story. “We’re giving this our all, hoping to make @emilyhenrywrites and all our fans proud. Stay tuned!!”
Keep reading to see more books reimagined for screens big and small this year.
