Jenna Bush Hager Is Behind Judy Blume’s ‘Summer Sisters’ Adaptation: Everything We Know So Far
The iconic Martha’s Vineyard-set novel is finally getting the TV treatment!
Key Takeaways
- Jenna Bush Hager is developing a TV adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved novel ‘Summer Sisters'
- Emmy-winning writer Rachel Shukert will write and executive produce the anticipated series
- ‘Summer Sisters’ TV show currently has no network attached after prior Hulu and Peacock efforts
Reading Judy Blume’s sun-soaked 1998 novel Summer Sisters was a rite of passage in many readers’ lives. Whether you first read it on vacation years ago or you reread it every single summer—like Jenna Bush Hager does—the seminal story of friendship, privilege and heartbreak stays with you long after the last page. Now, readers will get to fall in love with the classic story all over again because Summer Sisters is finally headed to television. That’s right! Blume’s beloved novel is being adapted for TV—and writer Rachel Shukert (The Burbs, The Baby-Sitters Club) is developing the series alongside Jenna Bush Hager!
The exciting news arrives after multiple previous attempts to bring the Martha’s Vineyard-set novel to the screen—and readers are already buzzing over who could possibly play magnetic Caitlin Somers and loyal Vix Leonard. Here, we gathered everything to know about the upcoming series, what Shukert and Bush Hager have to say about it all and more!
Keep reading for all the must-know details.
But first, what is ‘Summer Sisters’ about?
A nostalgic story unfolds in Blume’s iconic novel. Vix Leonard’s world changes when she meets Caitlin Somers, who introduces Vix to her family’s world of privilege, including trips to sunny Martha’s Vineyard. Over the years, their friendship fades—until Caitlin asks Vix to be her maid of honor for her upcoming nuptials, leading Vix on a hunt to find out what happened during their falling out.
Why Jenna Bush Hager adores ‘Summer Sisters’
Last year, we had the chance to sit down with TODAY host Bush Hager to discuss her favorite beach reads—and Summer Sisters was at the very top of her list. “This is my all-time favorite summer read,” she told Woman’s World and First for Women. “It’s so juicy and fun—it’s candy! But it’s also about female friendship and class and what it means to be a woman. Once you start reading this, you cannot put it down.”
Bush Hager’s wildly popular book club, Read With Jenna, named Summer Sisters as their August pick in 2023. The selection honored the 25th anniversary of the novel, which was originally published in 1998 and featured a special edition with the Read with Jenna seal.
‘Summer Sisters’ TV show: what we know so far
Summer Sisters is in the early development stages—and fans are thrilled! Rachel Shukert, known for writing and producing Peacock’s The Burbs and Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club, just signed a new deal with UCP, the Universal Studio Group division, according to Deadline. She already has a number of projects lined up with the studio, including the Summer Sisters TV series. Jenna Bush Hager and her Thousand Voices production company are also behind the forthcoming project.
Blume superfans have discussed the possibility of an adaptation for years so an update with official forward motion means everything. The series was previously in the works at Hulu and Peacock but never came to fruition. At the time of publication, the series does not officially have a network or streamer attached to it.
More good news? Summer Sisters fans can breathe a sigh of relief because Bush Hager and Blume herself are set to executive produce among others!
Behind-the-scenes excitement: ‘It’s a dream come true’
Shukert, whose credits include Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club and Peacock’s The Burbs, expressed her excitement about the partnership that will bring Summer Sisters to life.
“The team at UCP is the best in the business: passionate, versatile, kind, and deeply committed to creating the kind of challenging, surprising—and fun—work I’ve tried to achieve throughout my career,” Shukert told Deadline. “Partnering with them and their world-class stable of collaborators is a dream come true. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait for everything we make together.”
When Woman’s World caught up with Bush Hager at her Read with Jenna Book Festival in Nashville last year, she could barely contain her excitement about the possibility of an official adaptation announcement. With a knowing smile, she told us, “Say some prayers to the God of Judy Blume.”
Blume’s thoughts on ‘Summer Sisters’ two decades later
In a conversation with TODAY.com about the enduring appeal of Summer Sisters, Blume reflected on why the story continues to captivate readers nearly three decades after its publication. When asked what still resonates most about this story, Blume said, “The friendship between Caitlin and Vix. Maybe I should say the relationship. And then there’s the complicated love story or maybe it’s multiple love stories. Because isn’t the story of Caitlin and Vix really a love story? With or without Bru?”
This book—and its characters—remain favorites for countless readers, but Blume admits they’ve stayed with her, too. “Oh yes, they’ve stayed with me! Some characters continue to live inside my head years after I’ve written about them. Caitlin and Vix certainly do.”
And Blume couldn’t be more pleased about Jenna’s enthusiasm for the novel. “I was thrilled to learn that Jenna read the book every summer, knows the story and characters so well and is bringing it to a wider audience.”
Want to read or re-read the idyllic story while you wait for the series? Pick up your copy of Summer Sisters here.
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