Netflix Adds Four to This Summer Will Be Different Cast

Netflix has expanded the cast of its upcoming 10-episode series This Summer Will Be Different, adding Malin Akerman, Megan Follows, Nadine Bhabha, and Matias Lucas to the production [2, 5]. The series, based on the bestselling novel by Carley Fortune, is currently filming in Toronto after completing location shoots on Prince Edward Island [1, 4].

Production and Casting Details

The new additions join a cast led by Sophie Nélisse, who plays the protagonist Lucy “Bee” Ashby, alongside Francesca Reale and Roby Attal [2, 4]. Akerman, known for her role in the Netflix series The Hunting Wives, will portray Aunt Stacy, while Follows—widely recognized for her role in Anne of Green Gables—has been cast as Cheryl [1, 4]. Bhabha and Lucas round out the new additions as Farah and Carter, respectively [3, 5].

The series is being developed by showrunners Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, who also serve as executive producers alongside Fortune and the team at Sphere Media [4, 6]. The narrative follows Lucy as she navigates her 20s and a complicated romantic connection with her best friend’s brother, a premise that spans multiple summers on Prince Edward Island [3, 5].

Expanding the Canadian Slate

This Summer Will Be Different represents the latest expansion of Netflix’s Canadian-produced content slate, joining titles such as North of North, Wayward, and The Granville Girls [1, 2]. The project is part of a broader trend of adapting Fortune’s work for streaming platforms; her novel Every Summer After was previously adapted into the Amazon series Every Year After, and her book Meet Me at the Lake is currently in development as a film for Netflix [2].

While Netflix has not yet disclosed a premiere date for the 10-episode drama, the production is moving forward as the company continues to leverage established literary intellectual property to compete in the crowded romantic drama market, which includes long-running series like Bridgerton and Virgin River [2, 4].

What to watch

• Premiere Date: Netflix has not yet announced a release schedule for the series, leaving the launch window for the 10-episode run currently unconfirmed [2, 3].
• Production Milestones: With filming having shifted from Prince Edward Island to Toronto, the next phase will be post-production, which will determine the final delivery timeline for the platform [1, 5].

The success of this adaptation will be a key test for Netflix’s strategy of building a library of contemporary romance series based on popular BookTok titles. Whether the show can replicate the sustained viewership of established hits like Bridgerton remains the primary question for the company’s Canadian production arm [4].