The 32-year-old, who noted his wife Abby Champion is “obsessed” with Emily’s books, went on to detail his audition process when emphasizing what it means to work opposite Phoebe. 

“I can’t wait to bring these characters to life with you,” he noted. “It was a pleasure working opposite you through these chemistry reads.”

Soon after his announcement, fans of the book expressed their concerns with his casting, with many saying Patrick doesn’t quite align with Gus’ description in the book.

“Every time i think about the beach read casting i get pissed off all over again,” one user wrote on X, while another chimed in over a photo of Patrick, “I think I’m straight up not going to watch the Beach Read movie unless they somehow switch up casting.”

Despite the backlash, Phoebe shared she’s jazzed to share the screen with the Gen V actor.

“@patrickschwarzenegger blew me away in the room. I was so thrilled to watch him bring Gus to life,” she wrote in an April 14 Instagram Story. “We’re giving this everything in the hopes of making @emilyhenrywrites and all the fans proud. Stay tuned!!”

For more books being reimagined for the big and small screens this year, keep reading.