Patrick Schwarzenegger lands Beach Read role

Patrick Schwarzenegger has been cast opposite Phoebe Dynevor in Beach Read.

The 32-year-old actor has signed up to feature alongside the Bridgerton star in the adaptation of Emily Henry's New York Times best-selling romantic comedy novel that is in development at 20th Century Studios.

Beach Read was published in 2020 and tells the story of January Andrews (Dynevor), a successful romance novelist who is struck by grief and writer's block following her father's death and the discovery of secrets he had long kept hidden.

As she spends the summer at his Michigan beach house to get it ready for sale, she unexpectedly reconnects with Gus Everett (Schwarzenegger) – an author who was formerly her rival in college.

With both creatively stuck, they agree to a writing challenge where they swap literary genres and promise that there will be no romance between them.

However, you know what they say about best-laid plans.

Schwarzenegger was said to be an outsider for the role of Gus but movie chiefs decided to cast him after being impressed by his audition tape and chemistry read with Dynevor.

The film is being directed by Yulin Kuang – the co-writer of the Netflix take on Henry's People We Meet on Vacation – from her own script, with Neal H. Moritz producing for his Original Films company.

Patrick – the son of Terminator legend Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver – played the sex-crazed Saxon Ratliff in season three of The White Lotus last year and admits that he felt a sense of frustration that some people suspected that he was only cast in the role because of his family connections.

He told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I know there are people who'll say I only got this role because of who my dad is.

"They're not seeing that I've had 10 years of acting classes, put on (high) school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I've been on."

Schwarzenegger continued: "Of course, it's frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, I wish I didn't have my last name. But, that's a small moment.

"I would never trade my life with anyone. I'm very fortunate to have the life and family that I have, the parents I have and the lessons and values they've instilled in me."

Meanwhile, Patrick claimed recently that being a "man of faith" had helped him overcome the challenges of trying to build an acting career.

The Staircase actor told Variety at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year: "I’m here on this earth for a greater purpose and greater meaning than just working in acting.

"The film industry is a rollercoaster. I’ve seen it firsthand with my own family members, with friends. What’s really important is that as you go up, down, whichever way you go, your faith is still there."