It was announced today, August 4th, that production on This Summer Will Be Different has begun on Prince Edward Island. As well as a first look picture of the three leads – Sophie Nélisse, Francesca Reale, and Roby Attal (you can see above)
Some stories have us hooked long before the first episode arrives, and This Summer Will Be Different is one of them! We have two inseparable friends, a forbidden romance, and a wonderful island. What more could we ask for? We’re already counting down the days! But before we dive into all the drama, here’s everything you need to know about the cast bringing this story to life.
THE PLOT
This Summer Will Be Different, based on the beloved novel by Carley Fortune, is a simmering, sun-soaked romance set across multiple summers on Prince Edward Island about Lucy, a young woman navigating her 20s and her first real love with her best friend’s brother, the one person she was never supposed to fall for.
About The Three Main Characters
Sophie Nélisse as Lucy
Sophie Nélisse will lead the series as Lucy, the emotional center of This Summer Will Be Different. Alongside her best friend Bridget and Bridget’s brother Felix, Lucy completes the story’s central trio, although Netflix has yet to release an official description of her character.
If the series stays close to Carley Fortune’s novel, Lucy finds herself caught in an impossible position between the two people she loves most: her best friend and her brother, the man she was never supposed to fall for.
The novel begins by flashing back to Lucy’s first meeting with Felix during her first trip to Prince Edward Island. Bridget was supposed to travel with her but missed her flight, leaving Lucy to explore the island on her own. While visiting a restaurant, Lucy notices Felix shucking Malpeque oysters, and the chemistry between them is immediate. They end up spending the night together before either of them realizes the truth: Felix is actually Bridget’s brother.
That revelation makes everything complicated. Lucy eventually discovers that Felix’s nickname is “Wolf,” the very brother Bridget warned her about before the trip. In fact, one of Bridget’s three rules for Lucy’s first visit to the island was simple: don’t fall in love with her brother. But that’s much easier said than done.
Francesca Reale as Bridget
Francesca Reale has been cast as Bridget, Lucy’s best friend. While Netflix hasn’t shared an official character description, the readers already know just how important Bridget is to the story.
Lucy and Bridget first become close after graduating, when they work together before eventually moving in together. Bridget is the organized one of the pair, a tiny-but-mighty PR coordinator who always seems to have a plan. She’s also the person who introduces Lucy to Prince Edward Island in the first place by inviting her to spend the summer there.
Ironically, Bridget’s wedding is also what pulls Lucy back to the Island after everything that happened with Felix. Despite years of trying—and failing—to stay away from him each summer, Lucy can’t say no when her best friend needs her. Returning for the wedding means returning to Felix, along with all the feelings she’s spent so long trying to ignore.
Roby Attal as Felix “Wolf” Clark
Roby Attal will portray Felix Clark, better known as “Wolf.” He’s Bridget’s brother, and from the moment he meets Lucy, it’s obvious these two are going to fall in love with each other.
In the novel, Felix is charming, confident, and more than a little flirtatious. Lucy first meets him while he’s working at a bar shucking oysters, and the attraction between them sparks almost instantly. Their connection leads to a one-night stand before either of them realizes exactly who the other is.
Once Lucy discovers Felix is Bridget’s brother—the same brother she promised not to fall in love with—their relationship becomes far more complicated than either of them expected. But that’s ultimately the heart of This Summer Will Be Different: trying to resist someone who feels impossible to forget, even when every rule says you should.
OTHER CAST MEMBERS
- Jordan Rodrigues as “Miles Lam”
- Jude Wilson as “Zach”
- Natalie Brown as “Christine”
- James Tupper as “Ken”
- Tom Barnett as “Peter”
- Celia Owen as “Joy”
BEHIND THE SCENES
- Logline: This Summer Will Be Different, based on the beloved novel by Carley Fortune, is a simmering, sun-soaked romance set across multiple summers on Prince Edward Island about Lucy, a young woman navigating her 20s and her first real love with her best friend’s brother, the one person she was never supposed to fall for.
- Creators/Showrunners: Dane Clark (Suze, One More Time), Linsey Stewart (Workin’ Moms, North of North)
- Executive Producers: Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart, Carley Fortune (Every Summer After, Our Perfect Storm), and Jennifer Kawaja (Sort Of, Wayward), Elise Cousineau (Cardinal, Small Achievable Goals) and Sam Levine (Small Achievable Goals, The Z Suite) for Sphere Media
- Directors: Karen Maine (Yes, God, Yes, Nobody Wants This), Jasmin Mozaffari (Ginny & Georgia, Firecrackers), Fab Filippo (Sort Of, Save Me)
HOW MANY EPISODES WILL THERE BE
Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of the series
PROMO
First Look
This Summer Will Be Different will premiere on Netflix, we’re guessing in 2027.
