‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ Movie: Anna Kendrick Shares New Update
Anna Kendrick knows how important the movie adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, is to the fans. The Pitch Perfect actress, who is directing the film for Netflix, shared an update about casting and more in September 2026.
After her involvement in the project was revealed in June 2026, Kendrick recently told E! News that she’s thinking about the book fans “all the time” during the adaptation process. “Whenever somebody comes up to me and is like, ‘Oh, my best friend or my agent or my so-and-so… You don’t understand, they’re obsessed with that book,’ I’m like, ‘Give me their number. I want to talk to them,’” Kendrick said at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13.
She continued, “Because I want to know exactly what gets at the heart of it for people, because this book is so moving. And I, of course, have a big task ahead of me and I’m desperate to get it right.”
The outlet also asked Kendrick if Evelyn’s actress had been found yet. Keep reading for everything she said, as well as all the other latest updates about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo adaptation.
What is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo movie’s release date?
There’s no release date for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo movie yet. The Netflix film adaptation was announced in 2022, but there’s been no update about a premiere date since then. Production likely won’t start until 2027 at the earliest.
In July 2025, Reid hosted a Q&A with Laura Dave, the author of The Last Thing He Told Me, on her Instagram Story. During the Q&A, Reid admitted that she had received numerous questions about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. While she could not reveal much about the film’s progress, the author made a rare comment about the development process.
Responding to a question asking when the movie is coming out, Reid told her followers, “I have like 10,000 different versions of this question, and there are so many things that I would love to tell you, but I can’t tell you yet.” In the update, she confirmed, “They are still working on it, and they have great ideas.” Adding, “I’m very optimistic.”
In September 2026, Kendrick shared that the movie is still in the script phase.
Who will play Evelyn Hugo?
In response to E!’s casting question, Kendrick said, “You know what makes me so happy is we’re still in the script phase, so I cannot accidentally say something that will get me in so much trouble. So, I don’t even have an answer for you on that.”
While there’s been plenty of fancasting out there, Netflix has not announced who will play the key roles of Evelyn Hugo, Celia St. James, Monique Grant, and Evelyn’s seven husbands.
Ana de Armas and Eiza González have been in many fancastings. (Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images / Monica Schipper)
Actresses like Ana de Armas and Eiza González have been thrown into the mix for Evelyn Hugo. In April 2025, de Armas was asked about playing the role of Evelyn Hugo in the Netflix adaptation. “I would love that,” she told Entertainment Tonight. The actress hopes to branch out of action roles. “I think one of the things I love about acting and my career is to be able to do everything. You have to try all the things you can. You can’t just always eat the same thing.”
Fans have rallied for Jessica Chastain to play Celia St. James (and Sadie Sink as the younger version), but Chastain told E! News there’s “zero possibility” of her playing the role. “I look forward to watching it, and I’m sorry to disappoint everyone out there!” she said.
When the adaptation was confirmed in 2022, Leslye Headland was set to direct a script written by Liz Tigelaar. Reid was also set to executive produce the movie. However, there’s been a shift behind the scenes. In February 2025, it was announced that Maggie Betts would be taking over the reins. More than a year later, we now have Kendrick stepping in as director.
Casting Evelyn Hugo is a top priority, but what about her seven husbands? Swooon was tired of waiting around, so we decided to dream cast the men in Evelyn’s life. Jonathan Bailey as Harry Cameron, or Dylan O’Brien as Mick Riva? We had to dream cast them all.
Who is directing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will be directed by Kendrick, who made her directorial debut with Netflix’s Woman of the Hour. At this time, Kendrick has not revealed whether she will be in the film, similar to Woman of the Hour, but we can definitely see her as Celia St. James…
What is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo about?
The 2017 novel follows Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo, who is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous life. While her career thrust her into the public eye, there’s a lot the world doesn’t know about Evelyn Hugo.
She taps an unknown magazine reporter, Monique Grant, to write her biography. Monique is determined to use this opportunity to turn the page on a new chapter of her life. As Evelyn chronicles her life to Monique, shocking secrets are revealed.
Why is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo not a TV show?
Many fans have been concerned that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo actually deserves to be a limited series rather than a film. After all, Daisy Jones & the Six was a 10-episode series. Why shouldn’t the Evelyn Hugo get the same treatment?
There’s so much to explore with each of her husbands that a two-hour movie wouldn’t be able to dive into all the details. Maybe the higher-ups at Netflix will change their minds!
Who do you think should play Evelyn, Celia, and Evelyn’s husbands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, TBA, Netflix
