Turtles All The Way Down Movie: What We Know About The Adaptation Of John Green's Book

There was once a time in my life where the very idea of not being able to read a John Green novel was something I couldn’t have happen. I was obsessed with this man’s writing and for a good amount of my high school years, I was constantly reading his novels. Then college came around and I didn’t get the time to read as much anymore, but that (obviously) didn’t stop Hollywood from adapting Green’s novels for the big, and small, screen.

There have been three John Green book-to-screen adaptations so far – The Fault in Our Stars, which I think everyone knows, Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska, all books I’ve read. Now, Hollywood is developing my next favorite John Green novel, Turtles All The Way Down. But, what is this new movie going to be about? And who is going to star in it? For all the questions you might have about this upcoming young adult adaptation, here is what we know so far about it.

What Is The Turtles All The Way Down Release Date?

At the time of this writing, in June 2023, there is no set release date for Turtles All The Way Down. 

This is a little surprising, considering the movie was announced back in early 2022, and I don’t believe they’ve announced any delays, so maybe we’ll get an official release date before much longer. We’re not even sure if it’s going to come out on the 2023 movie schedule or the 2024 movie schedule. Only time will tell.

However, one thing we do know about its release is that Turtles All The Way Down won’t be coming to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the adaptation should arrive on Max, formerly known as HBO Max. The streaming platform has plenty of great original movies, so it will be pretty exciting to see this added as well.

Keep in mind that this can change, so hopefully we’ll get more news as time goes on.

Isabela Merced Will Star

If you were wondering who was going to star in this upcoming adaptation, it was confirmed in The Hollywood Reporter article above that Isabela Merced will take on the role of Aza Holmes, the main character in Turtles All The Way Down.

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The young actress has already been in a variety of films during her career. Some of the best ones you might have seen her in include the live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold, where she played the titular character, as well as Father of the Bride, Sweet Girl (alongside Jason Momoa), Spirit Untamed, Let It Snow, and Rosaline.

Merced really does have leading lady energy, as she has this sort of charisma that makes watching her on the big or small screen so much fun, so, honestly, I can’t wait to see her in this role. Let It Snow was also a partial John Green adaptation (since he wrote a part of that book) and she killed it there, so I’m excited to see her in this new film.

Judy Reyes, J. Smith-Cameron, And More Also Star

Plenty of other actors have also been cast for Turtles All The Way Down. According to Deadline, Judy Reyes joined the film to play Aza’s mother, Gina. Also signed on is Cree Cicchino, as well as Felix Mallard. These actors and actresses have been in a variety of roles, including the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia, the iconic comedic medical comedy, Scrubs, and more.

Also reported by Deadline were three other stars: J. Smith-Cameron, who plays Professor Abbott, Poorna Jagannathan, who plays Dr. Singh, and Maliq Johnson, who portrays Mychal. Again, these are all amazing actors who have been in some awesome projects, such as the Succession cast, the hilarious teen comedy Never Have I Ever, and even more, so I have full faith that this movie is going to be well-acted.

The Film Will Be Based On The John Green Novel Of The Same Name

For those who don’t know what Turtles All The Way Down is about, it basically dives into the mind of a teenager, Aza, who has anxiety.

Per The Hollywood Reporter announcement above, this will be an adaptation of the John Green novel and follows Aza as it looks into themes regarding mental illness and anxiety. She tries to do her best and make her parents proud, be there for her friends, and do well in school, but it doesn’t help that she is constantly berated by obsessive thoughts that make her life harder.

While also dealing with her own mental health, her childhood crush suddenly comes back into the picture, and it throws Aza’s life for a tailspin as she tries to learn how to love while also dealing with her own problems at the same time, in this wonderful coming of age story.

Hannah Marks Directed The Film

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hannah Marks directed the YA adaptation. The actress turned director has appeared in a variety of projects previously, such as Dirk Gently’s Holisitc Detective Agency, Daniel Isn’t Real, Awkward, and more.

As a director, Marks has also worked on movies such as After Everything, Mark, Mary & Some Other People, and Don’t Make Me Go. 

Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker Wrote The Screenplay

Also confirmed in The Hollywood Reporter article about Marks was that Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker wrote the script.

These two have done so much in Hollywood that has been a massive hit, including the LGBTQ+ show, Love, Victor (as well as the movie it was based on), This Is Us on NBC, About a Boy, and more. So, I would say that this film adaptation is in good hands.

John Green Is A Producer On The Movie

Something else that is fun to know is that John Green is also a producer on the movie, which is always a good sign. In a TikTok, he talked about his responsibilities on set:

To be honest, whenever an author is involved with an adaptation, that always makes me super happy, so I can’t wait to see how it turned out.

Filming For The Movie Took Place In 2022

Filming for Turtles All The Way Down took place in 2022. According to Cincinnati.com, work began in April 2022, and Green kept fans updated through his popular TikTok account as filming went on. One post, for instance, praised Marks for her brilliant directing.

In a TikTok from June 2022, Green said that they had just wrapped filming, and then in September of the same year, he confirmed that he had seen the first cut of the film in another post.

Isabela Merced said she saw the second cut of the film in May 2023, in an Instagram post, and said how “proud” she was to be a part of something like this:

For a reminder, it is June 2023, which really makes me think we might end up getting this film later this year. But, since we don’t know anything for sure, we’ll just need to be patient for a bit.

What are you the most excited for when it comes to Turtles All The Way Down? It’s going to get here before we know it and I know I am going to reread the book beforehand. Now I just need to prepare myself to sob uncontrollably for two hours. Can’t wait for that again, John Green.