The romance novel Love & Gelato by writer Jenna Evans Welch is getting an adaptation at Netflix which has already wrapped filming. Here’s a very early look at what we know so far about the upcoming movie.
First published in May 2016, Love & Gelato comes from author Jenna Evans Welch who also is known for Spells for Lost Things and follow-ups to Love & Gelato. Those follow-ups include Love & Luck and Love & Olives.
Here’s the GoodReads description for the first of the three books:
“Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.
But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.”
An IMDb page for the project states the romance Netflix adaptation is as follows:
“An American girl who, after the death of her mother, arrives in Florence to meet her father whom she has never met.”
Now it’s worth noting at this point that Netflix has yet to officially announce Love & Gelato. The Hollywood trade magazines also haven’t featured the project in any form either.
We have several indications that the project is at Netflix, however. Firstly, a production source in Italy confirms the project, an IMDb page also exists and Netflix recently registered a copyright for the movie in the United States.
Who’s behind Love & Gelato on Netflix and who’s in the cast?
Brandon Camp is reportedly on board to write and direct the feature film.
Camp is perhaps best known for directing and producing the 2018 reboot of Benji that was released on Netflix exclusively. He’s also been involved with projects such as 2009’s Love Happens (which was produced by Netflix’s Scott Stuber) and also wrote 2002’s fantasy drama Dragon Fly from Universal Pictures.
Director Brandon Camp attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Benji”
In terms of cast, Robin Tunney (most known for The Craft and more recently Netflix’s Horse Girl) will play the role of Hadley Emerson.
Owen McDonnell (known for Killing Eve) will play Howard.
Anjelika Washington (known for Netflix’s Tall Girl) will play Addie
Valentina Lodovini is on board to play Francesca, Susanna Skaggs will play Lina Emerson and Tera Hendrickson will play a priest.
You can find more members of the cast on the IMDb page.
Anjelika Washington posted numerous photos while in Italy throughout the summer of 2021 with Jenna Evan Welch (the author the book) commenting that it’s her “absolute favorite spot in the entire world”.
Filming took place in Tuscany, Italy (specifically Florence) throughout June 2021 according to the Toscana Film Commission Facebook page. They state (translated from Italian):
“After the TV series La Casa di Carta and the #SixUnderground movie, Netflix is coming back to Florence!
Today is the last day of filming the TV series “Love&Gelato” of #JennaEvansWelch taken from the namesake best seller.
It’s the story of an American girl who, after her mother’s death, comes to Florence to meet her father she’s never met.
Director Brandon Camp has decided to recount Florence through its most famous monuments and the most typical settings, from the small streets, to the local markets, from the Cathedral to the Boboli Garden.”
That’s all we have on Netflix’s Love & Gelato adaptation so far, we’ll keep you posted as and when we learn more.