Picture (L to R): Sophie Nélisse, Francesca Reale and Roby Attal lead This Summer Will Be Different
Netflix is bringing Carley Fortune’s best-selling romance novel, This Summer Will Be Different, to the screen with a new series adaptation. Heading the project are showrunners Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, with Sophie Nélisse, Francesca Reale, and Roby Attal leading the cast. Set to film across Prince Edward Island and Toronto starting August 2026, the sweeping story follows an irresistible island romance tested by secret desires. Here is everything we know about the upcoming adaptation.
2026 is set to be a big year for bestselling Canadian author Carley Fortune. Her novel Every Year After is being adapted into a TV series at Prime Video, titled Every Summer After, and earlier this year Netflix greenlit the television adaptation of This Summer Will Be Different, one of her best-selling novels.
Heading the adaptation is the husband-and-wife duo Dane Clark (One More Time) and Linsey Stewart (Workin’ Moms). Adapting the novel for television is Carley Fortune, who will also serve as an executive producer alongside Clark, Stewart, Jennifer Kawaja (Wayward) and Elise Cousineau (Cardinal) for Sphere Media.
Netflix’s directors of Content Canada, Danielle Woodrow and Tara Woodbury, released a joint statement regarding the announcement of the adaptation:
“When Carley first entrusted us with her captivating book, we knew we had to find the right team to deliver to her passionate fanbase. Developing this project with Dane, Linsey and Sphere has been a dream and we couldn’t have found better partners to bring this love letter to both Toronto and Prince Edward Island to the screen.”
This project marks the second collaboration between Netflix and Sphere Media. Their previous collaboration was a major success with Wayward, a mind-bending psychological series that spent five weeks on the streamer’s global top 10.
What is the plot of This Summer Will Be Different?
We have a detailed synopsis for the series from Production Weekly:
“Lucy (Nélisse) is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix (Attal) is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again. It’s easier said than done. Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget (Reale). Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again. If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it. When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.”
Who are the cast members of This Summer Will Be Different?
So far, three cast members have been confirmed for the series: Sophie Nélisse, Francesca Reale and Roby Attal.
Sophie Nélisse is confirmed to play the lead role of Lucy Ashby. The actress is best known for her role as the teenage Shauna in Yellowjackets and as Rose Landry in Heated Rivalry. She previously starred in Netflix’s 2019 action thriller Close.
Picture (L to R): Sophie Nélisse in Yellowjackets, Heated Rivalry, and Close
Francesca Reale will play Bridget Clark. Netflix subscribers will be most familiar with Reale for her role as Heather Holloway in the third season of Stranger Things. She also starred in the Netflix series Haters Back Off, and the teen comedy film Do Revenge.
Picture: Francesca Reale as Heather Holloway
Roby Attal will play Felix Clark. The actor previously starred as Edmund O’Mara in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor. The actor has also starred in Apple+ series Lady in the Lake and the Dexter prequel, Dexter: Original Sin.
Picture: Roby Attal in The Haunting of Bly Manor – Netflix
What is the production status of This Summer Will Be Different?
Development
Filming Scheduled
Filming Ongoing
Post-Production
It has been reported in issue 1513 of Production Weekly that This Summer Will Be Different will begin filming on Prince Edward Island, Toronto, Canada on August 31, 2026. The shoot will run for several weeks and is scheduled to end by October 16, 2026.
Prince Edward Island, where the series will be filmed, was a source of inspiration for author Carley Fortune:
“I fell in love with Prince Edward Island first in the pages of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and again when I visited with my best friend in my early twenties. That vacation, the beauty of the island, the warmth of its people, and the friendships that sustain us—are the foundation of This Summer Will Be Different. I’m thrilled to bring this sweeping love story to the screen with Netflix and to transport audiences to the glittering shores and windswept beaches of PEI.” – Carley Fortune
When is This Summer Will Be Different coming to Netflix?
At the time of writing, there is no confirmation from Netflix on when This Summer Will Be Different will be released.
We expect the series to be released on Netflix sometime in 2027, and we’ll have a better idea of when to expect the series on the platform when Netflix announces its 2027 series slate early next year.
For now, we await further details from Netflix.
We will keep you posted on all the latest updates. Be sure to keep checking back!