Actor Gavin Leatherwood has joined the cast of the romantic comedy "It Happened One Summer" as filming begins in New York, adding to a lineup that already includes Nina Dobrev, Tyler Hoechlin and Virginia Gardner. Directed by Peter Hutchings, the film is an adaptation of Tessa Bailey's 2021 bestseller of the same name, the first book in her Bellinger Sisters series, and marks a notable screen adaptation of the popular romance novel.

Dobrev leads as Piper Bellinger, an LA socialite exiled to a fishing town after a viral scandal, where she clashes with gruff sea captain Brendan, played by Hoechlin. Leatherwood will portray Fox Thornton, Brendan's charming but loyal best friend, with both Bailey and Hutchings praising his casting as completing the ensemble. The screenplay is adapted by Christina Mengert and Joseph Muszynski, with BCDF Pictures producing and Frolic Media serving as executive producer; Leatherwood is known for "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and Netflix's "It's What's Inside".