Summer I Turned Pretty Stars' Salary Dispute Revealed

Cameras are set to roll on the movie follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty in Wilmington, NC, starting April 27. However, a salary dispute involving the franchise's young cast has emerged. The lead actors, including Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Gavin Casalegno, reportedly negotiated salary bumps for the third season, with initial pay around $35K-$40K per episode for Season 1. These negotiations were reportedly advanced when the actors were asked to commit to the movie.

Sources close to the talent claim some stars resisted the movie commitment unless they received salary increases, with one side stating they were told raises were contingent on signing for the film. Talent sources also suggest that at least some leads felt "under duress" signing modified contracts. Conversely, studio sources maintain the actors were aligned on the movie. The Season 3 paychecks are rumored to be around $100K per episode for the trio.

Following the massive global success of Season 3, which garnered 70 million viewers, actors' representatives reportedly sought additional compensation for the movie but were rebuffed. Studios reportedly held the young stars to their existing contracts, a move that has been described as a "dangerous precedent" for how young actors are treated amid industry-wide belt-tightening. This situation mirrors similar renegotiation attempts by casts of other popular YA series like Outer Banks and XO, Kitty.

The Summer I Turned Pretty cast will likely rely on the career boost from the show for future opportunities, as their contracts only include an option for one film. The treatment of these young actors, who feel their contributions to the show's success were not adequately recognized, has raised concerns about industry practices.