Lola Tung, best known for playing Isabel 'Belly' Conklin in Prime Video's The Summer I Turned Pretty, has revealed she has not yet seen a script for the upcoming film continuation of the series. Speaking on the inaugural episode of Variety's 'Up Next' podcast, Tung said she has discussed ideas with showrunner Jenny Han but has not received the script. 'No one sent it to me,' she said when told a treatment was reportedly circulating.
Tung shared her vision for Belly and Conrad's future, imagining them as independent young adults in a long-distance relationship, with Belly living in Paris and Conrad pursuing medicine. On the enduring Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah debate, Tung said she has a preference from reading the books but will leave it to Han to reveal her true feelings. 'It doesn't matter what I think,' she said. 'It's all about you and your experience.'
Beyond The Summer I Turned Pretty, Tung is generating buzz for two horror projects. Forbidden Fruits, a witchy thriller co-starring Lili Reinhart and produced by Diablo Cody, has drawn comparisons to Jennifer's Body and The Craft. Tung praised director Meredith Alloway for her creative vision, noting a three-hour conversation about female friendships and 'the frustration and anger that just comes with being a woman.' She is also set to appear in The Young People, directed by Osgood Perkins, alongside Nicole Kidman, Nico Parker and Tatiana Maslany. Tung described the experience as 'crazy, weird, and awesome,' adding that she 'got a little scared on set a couple times.'
Tung reflected on her rise to fame, which began when she sent in an audition tape from her college apartment at Carnegie Mellon University during her freshman year. She never returned to finish her drama degree but continues to take voice lessons and has not ruled out returning to musical theatre after her Broadway debut in Hadestown. She also addressed being spotted dancing with Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams at a Lunar New Year party, saying they bonded over being young actors navigating the industry. 'You almost instantly have this connection of like, 'We get each other,'' she said.
