Before Emily Henry confirmed that her latest novel, Funny Story, is being adapted for the big screen, she shared her dream cast with Us Weekly exclusively.
Ahead of the book’s April release, Henry told Us that imagining her characters as A-listers is “really not” part of her writing process. “That’s why I love always hearing other people’s fan casts,” she added.
Funny Story — for those who haven’t read it — follows female protagonist Daphne as she works through a devastating breakup. Her fiancé, Peter, called off their wedding after realizing he was in love with his best friend, Petra. Sad and homeless, Daphne moves into an apartment with Petra’s ex Miles, and sparks start to fly.
After reading the book, the Us staff decided that Logan Lerman and Camila Morrone would be perfect as Miles and Daphne, respectively. Who else could play Peter other than Glen Powell? Even Henry agreed.
“Before you even said that, it popped into my head,” she gushed. “That either means I’m psychic or we’re really onto something that feels right.”
When it came to Petra, it seemed The White Lotus alum Meghann Fahy was the only option.
“I love her,” Henry said. “I think she’s so great because Petra’s whole thing is, like, you want to hate her, but also you’re like, ‘You’re also really nice. You did this bad thing.’”
@usweekly Does Jennifer Coolidge have a role in the #EmilyHenry universe? It’s kind of a #FunnyStory … but the author herself is confirming that she does! 💙 Read our full interview with one of BookTok’s favorite romance writers at the link in bio.
When it came to Miles’ younger sister, Julia, The Summer I Turned Pretty star Rain Spencer was suggested, but Henry also threw Sydney Chandler’s name into the mix. Daphne’s bestie, Ashleigh, had Us thinking Hilary Duff or Jenna Fischer — and Henry was into both. Daphne’s stepmom, Starfire, obviously has to be Jennifer Coolidge, and Dennis Quaid was the choice for her dad.
“I was trying to think through this and having middling results,” she said of casting Daphne’s dad. “I was like, ‘OK, so it has to be someone who’s got some charm and is a hot dad.’ I was like, ‘Well, it could be Matthew McConaughey,’ but he seems a little bit too young. Then, I thought, I always loved the Skarsgård patriarch — Stellan — always loved Stellan Skarsgård. I think Dennis Quaid is perfect because you also get that little rom-com of old nod by getting him in there.”
Variety reported on Monday, July 9, that Henry is adapting Funny Story into a film with Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company, with the author taking charge of the script. (This is the fifth of Henry’s books to receive the Hollywood treatment thus far.)
Prior to the adaptation news, Henry sparked major speculation in March that Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri were attached to an upcoming project — presumably Book Lovers — after sharing a photo of them together via social media.
“When that whole thing blew up, I really was texting some of my producers being like, ‘Did I just get us in trouble? Do I need to send apology bouquets to anyone?’ But it’s very cool,” Henry explained to Us. “I just think that [the fans are] really engaged in a way that is rare, and I think it’s probably the reason that any of these adaptations are actually going to get made is because the readers are so excited about it.”