‘Every Year After’ Author Carley Fortune on TV Adaptation’s Title Change, Sequel Books and Why She’s Not Worried About ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Comparisons
On the heels of a massively successful launch for “Off Campus” last month, Amazon is set to debut “Every Year After,” its next big YA series, on June 10. Along with being another romance, this one has the added bonus of potentially filling that “The Summer I Turned Pretty”-shaped hole in YA fans’ hearts, since it’s the tale of a girl who goes to vacation in the same town every year and meets and becomes close with two brothers.
That comparison could definitely help to pull in more viewers — but is it something the team is worried will dominate the conversation? The short answer, per “Every Summer After” author Carley Fortune, is “No.”
“I hope that viewers will see there are brothers and it is a summer setting, but I think the show really stands on its own,” Fortune tells Variety. “It is so visually unique. I think it’s unlike something I’ve seen on TV. And it was shot in Canada, which I was so happy about. I think tonally, it feels a little different. And there will absolutely be comparisons to the show, but I’m not worried about them.”
Based on Fortune’s “Every Summer After,” the show’s eight-episode first season — adapted by Amy B. Harris — follows the childhood romance between Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett) in flashbacks, and jumps into their post-breakup lives in present day. The story explores the what led to their breakup in the past, as tragedy brings Percy back to the Canadian lakeside town of Barry’s Bay and face to face with Sam and his brother, Charlie (Michael Bradway), after years of radio silence.
Fortune’s novels “Every Summer After” and sequel “One Golden Summer” have both been optioned by Amazon, leaving the door open for future seasons. Fortune says that’s part of the reason for the name change you might be confused by already: the book is “Every Summer After,” the show is “Every Year After”
“There were a lot of conversations about it,” Fortune says. “The feeling was that ‘Every Year After’ opened it up to live beyond the book, and to more seasons beyond the book. And it was one of those things that in an adaptation, things just change when other people come into the mix. So that title is one of them.”
Read more from Variety‘s interview with Fortune about the debut of “Every Year After,” and her plans for more books set in Barry’s Bay, below.
Percy was first, which makes a ton of sense. And Sadie is — I couldn’t have imagined a better Percy. I can’t picture the characters when I write. I picture setting very clearly, and sometimes have to draw the places because I really, physically need to see characters in space. But their faces are kind of a blur, so I try to describe them so you can see them. But for me, when I saw Sadie’s audition, I was like, “There’s Percy.” And she was so wonderful.
And then it was figuring out the Sam. I do not want to see all the casting tapes, the auditions. I’m writing a book a year, it’s just not possible. So I was sent the auditions of the number one pick and for feedback on them. And Matt’s audition made me cry. He did a eulogy. My concern about Matt was, I feel like Sam has to be a little bit insecure. He’s insecure about his brother. I’m not sure I believe this man has ever felt insecure in his life. He’s so handsome. But [Matt] does such a good job with vulnerability, and I was assured there were so many Charlies that could give Matt a run for his money. And every audition I was sent I loved. We did chemistry reads with Sadie and Matt and Matt and Michael. And the chemistry reads for all of them were done virtually. And through the screen there was so much chemistry I was blushing with Sadie and Matt. And Matt and Michael were really great, too. They really felt like brothers. And I think they do feel like brothers in the show.
My preference is, please buy the book. But I think you could go in either way, of course. That’s the idea.
When I’m reading the scripts and thinking about them, I’m thinking about the projects in two buckets. One is as a Carley Fortune adaptation in general, and what that should be for that specific book, and then the other is just as a TV show or a movie script in and of itself. And I think the adaptations have to have this strong sense of place. So it doesn’t have to necessarily look this. And hopefully, they all have their own visual identity that still transports you to this place it is. I’m so excited about shooting on Prince Edward Island. That’s been a dream of mine. And I think the visual should suit the tone of “This Summer Will Be Different,” which is quite different than the tone of “Every Summer After.” So I think visually, it should be too. But it also has to have big emotions. It needs to have this sense of nostalgia. So it needs to feel like Carley Fortune. But I think each project should do that in its own special way.
Amy has incredible musical taste. We did talk a lot about it when we were on set. We talked about Dolly [Parton], because Sue’s favorite artists is Dolly. There’s some beautiful Dolly in the show. And there’s also Harry Styles — I’m such a Harry Styles fan. I think he’s a beautiful human and artist. And there is a Harry Styles musical moment that I just cried so many tears. That’s Amy’s doing, and then the musical director’s doing. I had nothing to do with it, but I love it.
Great question. I’m from Barry’s Bay. I love Barry’s Bay. I love the lake. I love these characters. I don’t think I’m done with them. And that’s all I’ll say.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
That comparison could definitely help to pull in more viewers — but is it something the team is worried will dominate the conversation? The short answer, per “Every Summer After” author Carley Fortune, is “No.”
“I hope that viewers will see there are brothers and it is a summer setting, but I think the show really stands on its own,” Fortune tells Variety. “It is so visually unique. I think it’s unlike something I’ve seen on TV. And it was shot in Canada, which I was so happy about. I think tonally, it feels a little different. And there will absolutely be comparisons to the show, but I’m not worried about them.”
Based on Fortune’s “Every Summer After,” the show’s eight-episode first season — adapted by Amy B. Harris — follows the childhood romance between Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett) in flashbacks, and jumps into their post-breakup lives in present day. The story explores the what led to their breakup in the past, as tragedy brings Percy back to the Canadian lakeside town of Barry’s Bay and face to face with Sam and his brother, Charlie (Michael Bradway), after years of radio silence.
Fortune’s novels “Every Summer After” and sequel “One Golden Summer” have both been optioned by Amazon, leaving the door open for future seasons. Fortune says that’s part of the reason for the name change you might be confused by already: the book is “Every Summer After,” the show is “Every Year After”
“There were a lot of conversations about it,” Fortune says. “The feeling was that ‘Every Year After’ opened it up to live beyond the book, and to more seasons beyond the book. And it was one of those things that in an adaptation, things just change when other people come into the mix. So that title is one of them.”
Read more from Variety‘s interview with Fortune about the debut of “Every Year After,” and her plans for more books set in Barry’s Bay, below.
Percy was first, which makes a ton of sense. And Sadie is — I couldn’t have imagined a better Percy. I can’t picture the characters when I write. I picture setting very clearly, and sometimes have to draw the places because I really, physically need to see characters in space. But their faces are kind of a blur, so I try to describe them so you can see them. But for me, when I saw Sadie’s audition, I was like, “There’s Percy.” And she was so wonderful.
And then it was figuring out the Sam. I do not want to see all the casting tapes, the auditions. I’m writing a book a year, it’s just not possible. So I was sent the auditions of the number one pick and for feedback on them. And Matt’s audition made me cry. He did a eulogy. My concern about Matt was, I feel like Sam has to be a little bit insecure. He’s insecure about his brother. I’m not sure I believe this man has ever felt insecure in his life. He’s so handsome. But [Matt] does such a good job with vulnerability, and I was assured there were so many Charlies that could give Matt a run for his money. And every audition I was sent I loved. We did chemistry reads with Sadie and Matt and Matt and Michael. And the chemistry reads for all of them were done virtually. And through the screen there was so much chemistry I was blushing with Sadie and Matt. And Matt and Michael were really great, too. They really felt like brothers. And I think they do feel like brothers in the show.
My preference is, please buy the book. But I think you could go in either way, of course. That’s the idea.
When I’m reading the scripts and thinking about them, I’m thinking about the projects in two buckets. One is as a Carley Fortune adaptation in general, and what that should be for that specific book, and then the other is just as a TV show or a movie script in and of itself. And I think the adaptations have to have this strong sense of place. So it doesn’t have to necessarily look this. And hopefully, they all have their own visual identity that still transports you to this place it is. I’m so excited about shooting on Prince Edward Island. That’s been a dream of mine. And I think the visual should suit the tone of “This Summer Will Be Different,” which is quite different than the tone of “Every Summer After.” So I think visually, it should be too. But it also has to have big emotions. It needs to have this sense of nostalgia. So it needs to feel like Carley Fortune. But I think each project should do that in its own special way.
Amy has incredible musical taste. We did talk a lot about it when we were on set. We talked about Dolly [Parton], because Sue’s favorite artists is Dolly. There’s some beautiful Dolly in the show. And there’s also Harry Styles — I’m such a Harry Styles fan. I think he’s a beautiful human and artist. And there is a Harry Styles musical moment that I just cried so many tears. That’s Amy’s doing, and then the musical director’s doing. I had nothing to do with it, but I love it.
Great question. I’m from Barry’s Bay. I love Barry’s Bay. I love the lake. I love these characters. I don’t think I’m done with them. And that’s all I’ll say.
This interview has been edited and condensed.