Photo: Erika Doss/Prime
It’s all anyone is talking about right now, and for good reason. After weeks of mounting anticipation, the season three finale of the hit Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty dropped last night, as did our jaws when we found out the highly bingeable summer romance is getting a feature-length movie, meaning a much-needed continuation of Belly and Conrad’s love story for all those who are team ‘Bonrad.’
For those not familiar with the series, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a coming-of-age romance based on the best-selling books by Jenny Han. Set in the fictional coastal town of Cousins Beach on America’s East Coast, the story follows teenage girl Belly Conklin, who finds herself in a messy love triangle between brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. And while the drama is enough to keep you hooked, we must admit that the the series’ quaint beachside location, including the iconic beach house, is another reason we can’t stop watching.
So, if you’ve ever wondered exactly where all those Pinterest-worthy scenes from The Summer I Turned Pretty were shot, as well as everything we know about the upcoming movie, read on.
When will ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ movie be released?
That’s right, there’s going to be a movie. News of the feature-length film came just hours after the final episode dropped via an Instagram post from the author and creator of the show, Jenny Han. While the release date of The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie is yet to be announced, fans can only hope they won’t have to wait as long as they did for season three.
Where will ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ movie be set?
After the jaw-dropping season three finale, we can safely assume that The Summer I Turned Pretty movie will see the characters return to where it all began in Cousins, which means more idyllic shots of Belly and Conrad traipsing around Wilmington, North Carolina, where the TV series is largely shot.
Where is ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Cousins Beach house?
Cousins Beach may be a fictional town, but the Fishers’ picturesque beach house is a real private residence in Wilmington, North Carolina. The colossal Cape Cod-style home is located within Porters Neck Plantation, a gated golf course community on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Although all the scenes featuring the home’s cosy coastal interiors were filmed at a studio, the exterior shots, including by the pool and in the pretty garden, were filmed at the charming shingle-clad residence, with numerous hydrangeas specially planted in the gardens for the TV show.
“Our greens department literally transformed the landscape around the house. I think we bought every last hydrangea plant in the state,” production designer Teresa Mastropierro told House Beautiful.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home comes with an infinity pool and a private dock, and reportedly sold for US$1.5 million back in 2011. We’d wager that it’s worth a fair bit more now!
All the picturesque filming locations from ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
If you too have fallen in love with the idea of the fictional Cousins Beach, as well as the show’s other pretty locations, here are the real places you need to visit.
Cousins Beach: Wilmington, North Carolina
While Cousins Beach doesn’t exist, the TV series managed to create the fictitious town by shooting primarily in Wilmington, a port city in North Carolina on America’s East Coast.
Some of the key Cousins Beach film locations include: Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and the waterfront Oceanic Restaurant at Crystal Pier, where Belly announces her engagement to Jeremiah.
Whale Of A Tale bookshop: Papercut Books, Wilmington
The cute Whale Of A Tale bookstore, where Laurel hosts her book launch in season one, is actually Papercut Books, which is located on Market Street in Wilmington.
Finch College: the University of North Carolina
Scenes on the leafy campus of Finch College were actually filmed at the University of North Carolina at both the Wilmington and Chapel Hill campuses.
Where Belly works and visits in Paris
In season three, when Belly makes the move to Paris, we see her arrive at the Censier-Daubenton Métro station, take a walk across the Pont au Double bridge, and take up a job at the Écoles Cinema Club, a real-life cinema situated in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Belly also works at a pretty Parisian restaurant, which appears to be Coquelicot Bistrot according to eagel-eyed fans.
Some of Belly and Conrad’s tension-building Paris scenes take place at the Palace of Versaille.
Fancy creating your own Cousins Beach summer holiday? Here are 9 dreamy Australian beach escapes inspired by ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’.
