To All the Boys (franchise)
To All the Boys is a franchise[1] consisting of American teenage romance installments, including three feature films and a spin-off television series, based on the titular trilogy of novels written by Jenny Han. Starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo in the central roles, the plot centers around Lara Jean Song-Covey (Condor), a shy teenager who writes five letters—ones she never planned to send—to boys that she has had crushes on.
| To All the Boys | |
|---|---|
 Official franchise logo | |
| Created by | Jenny Han |
| Original work | To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han |
| Owner | Netflix |
| Years | 2018–present |
The films show her experiences after the letters are received by the young men.
The series is produced by Netflix and released exclusively through its streaming services. The first film, released in 2018 was critically acclaimed, and became one of the company's most-viewed original films.[2] Following its success, Netflix quickly began developing the two sequels, released in 2020 and 2021 respectively, both of which received positive reviews from critics.[3]
The franchise is continuing with a spin-off TV series, centered around Kitty Song-Covey, which was released in 2023.[4]
Origin
editThe book To All the Boys I've Loved Before was published in April 2014, and spent 40 weeks as a New York Times Best Selling young adult romance novel.[5] By June 2014, the novel's film adaptation rights were purchased by Overbrook Entertainment, the production company owned by Will Smith and James Lassiter.[6]
The second installment, P.S. I Still Love You, was released in May 2015, and five weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, peaking sales at #2 in the Young Adult fiction section.[7] The third installment, Always and Forever, Lara Jean, was released in May 2017.
Films
edit| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To All the Boys I've Loved Before | August 17, 2018 | Susan Johnson | Sofia Alvarez | Dougie Cash, Jordan Levin & Matthew Kaplan |
| To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You | February 12, 2020 | Michael Fimognari | Sofia Alvarez & J. Mills Goodloe | Matthew Kaplan |
| To All the Boys: Always and Forever | February 12, 2021 | Katie Lovejoy |
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
editFilm rights were attained in June 2014, with Susan Johnson serving as director from a screenplay by Sofia Alvarez. Lana Condor was cast to star as Lara Jean Song-Covey.[8] Noah Centineo was cast to co-star, with the rest of the film's roles the following month.[9] Production took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Portland, Oregon, USA.[10][11] Photography took place from July 5, 2017, to August 4, 2017.[12]
To All the Boys I've Loved Before was released exclusively on Netflix on August 17, 2018.[13]
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
editFollowing the success of the first film, Netflix, Paramount Pictures and Awesomeness Films began to discuss a sequel.[14] The film was greenlit by December 2018, with Condor and Centineo signed to reprise their roles.[15] By March 2019, Michael Fimognari, cinematographer on the first film, was hired to make his directorial debut. Director of the first film, Susan Johnson, will serve as executive producer.[16] Jordan Fisher was cast as John Ambrose McClaren, a past love of Lara Jean's who joins the project, and complicates the two main characters' relationship.[17]
Filming took place once more in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and lasted from March 27, 2019, to May 10, 2019.[18][19] To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, was released exclusively on Netflix on February 12, 2020.[20]
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
editIn August 2019, a third film was announced to be in development with confirmation that it was already into production. The feature adapts the author's third novel, with Fimognari once again serving as director, with a script by Katie Lovejoy.[21][22]
Production was announced to have officially begun on July 15, 2019, two months after production on the second film wrapped. To All the Boys: Always and Forever was released exclusively on Netflix on February 12, 2021. The film was retitled from its tentative title, synonymous with the name of the novel.[23]
Television
edit| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Network | Showrunner | Writers | Executive producers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XO, Kitty | 1 | 10 | May 18, 2023 | Netflix | Jenny Han | Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian, Alanna Bennett, Emily Kim, Sarah Choi, Hanna Stanbridge, Chris Martin, Jessica O'Toole, Sascha Rothchild | Matthew Kaplan, Jenny Han, Sascha Rothchild | ||
In April 2021, a spin-off series featuring the character Kitty Song-Covey, was announced to be in development as a Netflix exclusive. Anna Cathcart reprises her role in the series, with a story centered around her search for love. Jenny Han serves as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer. The pilot episode will be co-written by Han and Siobhan Vivian. The series is intended to include 30-minute romantic comedy episodes. The project will be a joint-venture production between Awesomeness TV, ACE Entertainment, and Netflix Original Series.[24]
In October 2021, the series entered production and was officially ordered by Netflix with the title XO, Kitty. The plot will center around Kitty Song-Covey, who sees herself as an expert matchmaker, and thinks she has love figured out. Once she moves around the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she discovers she has a lot to learn about romance. Han and Sascha Rothchild will serve as co-showrunners, in addition to serving as an executive producers with Matt Kaplan.[25]
Main cast and characters
editThis section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
- An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
- C indicates a cameo role.
- Y indicates a younger version of the character.
| Character | Films | Television | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To All the Boys I've Loved Before |
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You |
To All the Boys: Always and Forever |
XO, Kitty | |
| 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 | |
| Lara Jean Song-Covey | Lana Condor Isabelle BeechY |
Lana Condor Momona TamadaY |
Lana CondorA | |
| Peter Kavinsky | Noah Centineo Hunter DillonY |
Noah Centineo | Noah CentineoA | |
| Katherine "Kitty" Song-Covey | Anna Cathcart | |||
| Margot Song-Covey | Janel Parrish | |||
| Dr. Daniel "Dan" Covey | John Corbett | |||
| Genevieve "Gen" | Emilija Baranac Rhys FlemingY |
Emilija Baranac | ||
| Lucas James | Trezzo Mahoro | |||
| Christine "Chris" | Madeleine Arthur | |||
| Josh Sanderson | Israel Broussard Christian Michael CooperY |
|||
| Emily | Kelcey Mawema | |||
| Owen | Joey Pacheco | |||
| Kenny | Edward Kewin | |||
| Ms. Kavinsky | Julia Benson | |||
| John Ambrose-McClaren | Pavel PiddockeY Jordan BurtchettC |
Jordan Fisher Christian ScottY |
||
| Edith "Stormy" McClaren-Sheehan | Holland Taylor | |||
| Trevor Pike | Ross Butler | |||
| Trina Rothschild | Sarayu Blue | |||
| Heather | Sofia Black-D'Elia | |||
| Mr. Kavinsky | Henry Thomas | |||
| Dae-heon Kim | Jeon Ho-young | Choi Min-young | ||
| Quincy "Q" Shabazian | Anthony Keyvan | |||
| Yuri Han | Gia Kim | |||
| Min Ho | Sang Heon Lee | |||
| Professor Alex Finnerty | Peter Thurnwald | |||
| Juliana | Regan Aliya | |||
| Florian | Théo Augier Bonaventure | |||
| Director Jina Lim | Yunjin Kim | |||
| Professor Lee | Michael K. Lee | |||
| Madison Miller | Jocelyn Shelfo | |||
| Mr. Kim | Lee Sung-wook | |||
| Mr. Han | Lee Hyung-chul | |||
Additional production and crew details
edit| Title | Crew/Detail | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer(s) | Cinematographer(s) | Editor(s) | Production companies | Distributing company | Running time | |
| To All the Boys I've Loved Before | Joe Wong | Michael Fimognari | Joe Klotz & Phillip J. Bartell | Awesomeness Films, Netflix Original Films, Overbrook Entertainment, All The Boys Productions |
Netflix | 1 hr 39 mins |
| To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You |
Joe Klotz | ACE Entertainment, Awesomeness Films, Netflix Original Films, Overbrook Entertainment, All The Boys Productions |
1 hr 41 mins | |||
| To All The Boys: Always and Forever |
Joe Klotz, Tamara Meem & Michelle Harrison | 1 hr 49 mins | ||||
| XO, Kitty | Jina Hyojin An & Shirley Song | Lindsay George and Sandra Valde-Hansen |
Anthony Rosc, Katie Abel, Lindsay Armstrong, Nicole Artzer, Michelle Harrison, and Colin Johnson | Awesomeness TV, ACE Entertainment, Netflix Original Series |
6 hrs 3 mins (30 mins/episode) | |
Critical reception
edit| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| To All the Boys I've Loved Before | 96% (68 reviews)[26] | 64/100 (12 reviews)[27] |
| To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You | 75% (71 reviews)[28] | 54/100 (16 reviews)[29] |
| To All the Boys: Always and Forever | 78% (68 reviews)[30] | 65/100 (18 reviews)[31] |
| XO, Kitty | 81% (26 reviews)[32] | 68/100 (8 reviews)[33] |
References
edit- ^ Romero, Ariana (May 18, 2023). "Do You Need to (Re)Watch To All the Boys to Love XO, Kitty?". Tudum by Netflix. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Netflix reveals rare viewing numbers, crowns to All the Boys I've Loved Before the king". 17 October 2018.
- ^ "'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel Gets Netflix Release Date, with Third Movie Confirmed". 15 August 2019.
- ^ Wang, Lydia (April 5, 2022). "'XO, Kitty' Writes Love Letters to 9 New Cast Members". Netflix. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ "THIS WEEK YOUNG ADULT". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ Yamato, Jen (June 26, 2014). "Overbrook Sets Annie Neal To Pen YA Adaptation 'To All The Boys I've Loved Before'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "Best Sellers – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (July 21, 2017). "Lana Condor to Star in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Movie Based on Jenny Han Novel". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Jarvey, Natalie (July 21, 2017). "John Corbett, Lana Condor Join 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Film (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "To All The Boys I've Loved Before Movie Adaptation Starts Filming in Vancouver". What's Filming. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (16 August 2018). "Film Review: Netflix's 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'". Variety. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Film and TV Production List" (PDF). Union of BC Performers. July 19, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 21, 2018). "Netflix Acquires Rights to Adaptation of YA Novel 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ McNary, Dave (November 27, 2018). "'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel in the Works". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 19, 2018). "'To All The Boys I've Loved Before 2': Lana Condor & Noah Centineo Are Returning, Netflix Says". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (March 22, 2019). "'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel Taps New Director as Supporting Cast Returns (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ McHenry, Jackson (March 28, 2019). "Jordan Fisher Is the John Ambrose You Haven't Met in To All the Boys I've Loved Before Sequel". Vulture.com. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ Schremph, Kelly (March 27, 2019). "Noah Centineo & Lana Condor Officially Started Filming The 'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel". Bustle. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. May 24, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick; N'Duka, Amanda (August 15, 2019). "'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel Gets Netflix Release Date, With Third Movie Confirmed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "To All the Boys 3 confirmed as second movie sets release date". 15 August 2019.
- ^ "To All the Boys: Always and Forever".
- ^ Lam, Teresa (July 17, 2019). "Lana Condor & Noah Centineo Have Begun Filming 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before 3'". HypeBae.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 1, 2021). "'To All The Boys' Spinoff Series Starring Anna Cathcart Eyed By Netflix From Jenny Han, Awesomeness & ACE Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 18, 2021). "'To All The Boys' Spinoff YA Series 'XO, Kitty' Starring Anna Cathcart Ordered By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "To All the Boys I've Loved Before Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ "To All the Boys: Always and Forever Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ "XO, Kitty". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "XO, Kitty". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 1, 2023.