Turtles All the Way Down Movie: Release Date, Cast, Trailer and Everything You Need to Know

Kaitlyn McNab
·5 min read
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Courtesy of Max

It's happening: Turtles All the Way Down is getting the adaptation treatment. The long-awaited film will finally arrive to streaming five years after it was first announced to be in development.

Turtles All the Way Down, which is based on the 2017 New York Times bestselling YA novel of the same name by John Green, was directed by actor, writer, and filmmaker Hannah Marks, who also directed 2022's Don't Make Me Go. Author John Green has had many of his young adult novels successfully adapted into films and television series, including Looking for Alaska, Let It Snow, Paper Towns (starring Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, and Justice Smith), and the box office hit The Fault in Our Stars (starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort).

Turtles All the Way Down the movie was written by its executive producers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, and has found a streaming home on HBO's Max platform. Below, find out everything you need to know about your next favorite book-turned-movie, including release date, cast, trailer, and more.

What is Turtles All the Way Down about? Will it remain faithful to the book?

Turtles All the Way Down the novel follows the story of Aza Holmes, a 16-year-old living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety. Along with her best friend Daisy, Aza sets out to investigate the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett — the father of Davis Pickett, her neighbor — for a cash reward while working through grief, friendship, mental illness, and possible romantic feelings for Davis.

“This is my first attempt to write directly about the kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal," John Green wrote in a press release for the book back in July 2017. Green serves as an executive producer on the film adaptation, along with Laura Quicksilver, Bart Lipton, Rosianna Halse Rojas, and Richard Brener, Nikki Ramey, and Paulina Sussman on behalf of New Line Cinema.

Turtles All the Way Down

$14.00, Bookshop.org

The official synopsis of Turtles All the Way Down the movie reads as follows: “It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying... trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.”

As with any film adaptation of a book, there are bound to be changes made to adjust the story to a new medium; but having John Green on board as an executive producer is definitely assuring to the story's integrity. Curiously enough, there is no mention in the movie's synopsis of the search for Davis's billionaire father that drives most of the plot. But so far, it seems as though the only major change that has been made is aging Aza up from 16 to 17 years old. Looks like we'll have to wait for the trailer to see just how faithful Turtles All the Way Down will remain to the book.

Who is in the cast of Turtles All the Way Down?

Isabela Merced is set to lead Turtles All the Way Down as Aza Holmes; Merced was the first actor to join the film's cast. Merced is perhaps best known for her work in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Netflix's John Green adaptation Let It Snow, and is soon set to star in Madame Web (within Sony's Spider-Man Universe) and the highly anticipated second season of HBO's The Last of Us.

Read More: Madame Web Star Isabela Merced Talks Child Stardom and Living Fearlessly

Cree Cicchino (who is credited as simply Cree) will play Aza's best friend Daisy Ramirez, while Ginny & Georgia star Felix Mallard will portray Davis Pickett. Other cast members include Judy Reyes as Aza's mother Gina, Grand Army star Maliq Johnson as Aza's other best friend Mychal Turner, Never Have I Ever's Poorna Jagannathan as Dr. Singh, and Succession star J. Smith-Cameron as Professor Abbott.

When does Turtles All the Way Down come out?

The movie adaptation of Turtles All the Way Down is set to release this spring on Max. There is no confirmed release date yet, but winter is winding down which means you'll be streaming the film before you know it.

Are there any first-look photos for Turtles All the Way Down?

Yes! On February 8, 2024, Max released three first-look images from Turtles All the Way Down. We get to take our first peeks at Isabela Merced as Aza, Cree as Daisy, and Felix Mallard as Davis Pickett.

<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Max</cite>
Courtesy of Max
<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Max</cite>
Courtesy of Max
<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Max</cite>
Courtesy of Max

Is there a trailer for Turtles All the Way Down?

Yes! On Wednesday, April 3, Max debuted the first trailer for the film, about a month out from it's May 2nd release date. The trailer is intense: “Your body is nothing but a host to a massive collection of parasitic organisms ready to cause infection, ready to cause infection, ready to cause infection,” Isabela Merced's Aza spits out as Billie Eilish's “bad guy” thuds through the background. These “thought spirals” are typical for Aza, who is struggling with an anxiety disorder and fears she'll never be able to have a romantic relationship. Enter Felix Mallard's Davis, who turns her world upside down… and the chemistry between the two is palpable. (And we're definitely hear for the supportive friendship between Aza and Cree.)

Check out the trailer below:

This story will continue to be updated as news about Turtles All the Way Down breaks.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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