To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before stole our hearts and made a name for itself as one of the best romcoms of a generation, so of course, it’s getting a sequel.
The news became official today and though I think most of us would have put money on it happening, it feels damn good to have assurance.
Now the only problem is what exactly is going to go down in the sequel, because based on the books and the basic structure of film franchises, it’s going to cause some distress.
Here’s the problem: The way things go down in the movie are a little different to Jenny Han’s book trilogy on which To All The Boys is based. The movie adaptation essentially pulled together certain parts of the first two books in order to create a perfectly tied together love story.
So the next movie could either try to pick up what was left out from the second book, or pick up with the narrative of the third book. Either way, there is going to be conflict in Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky’s relationship.
At the end of To All The Boys, John Ambrose McClaren shows up at Lara Jean’s doorstep with flowers and his love letter. It’s nothing more than a punchline, but if the sequel goes by the plot of the second book, that love triangle is going to come between Lara Jean and Peter.
The problem with that is that Peter Kavinsky is too damn perfect in the movie adaptation. He was designed for us to fall whole-heartedly in love with him and the relationship that blossoms between the two main characters.
With the more flawed version of Peter that exists in the book, it’s easier to be on board with John Ambrose as a potential alternative contender. But they made us fall in love with Peter Kavinsky and I don’t see any of us falling out of love any time soon, sorry Johnny boy.
So if they skip over the whole John Ambrose love triangle debacle – which is unlikely as it compromises the potential to milk at least three films out of this franchise – then we’re still going to see conflict.
There is no movie without conflict, and while I’m more than happy to watch two hours worth of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky happily living their lives together, that dream is DOA.
Things could possibly pick up where the third book begins, with the narrative built around Lara Jean and Peter’s senior year. They would be making college decisions and facing the same crossroads that Margot and Josh came to at the start of the first book and movie.
I’m personally stuck between being overwhelmingly keen for a sequel to To All The Boys I’ve Love Before, and wanting it to remain a perfect complete entity.
But Paramount Pictures is doing it and Netflix is bringing it to us, so let’s just pray they don’t break our Peter Kavinsky-loving hearts.