Latinx YA Novel ‘A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow’ to be Adapted to Film
We love seeing Latinx books becoming film adaptations! From Ariana Godoy’s A Través De Mi Ventana to Erika L
Photo: lInstagram/ @aura_namey/ Atheneum
We love seeing Latinx books becoming film adaptations! From Ariana Godoy’s A Través De Mi Ventana to Erika L. Sanchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter directed by America Ferrera on the horizon, there’s been a more significant push in Hollywood to bring Latinx voices from the page to the big screen. Now, a new addition to the line-up has been added: Cuban American author Laura Namey’s best-selling YA novel, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. Documentary filmmaker Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu) is attached to direct, with Maia Reficco (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin), Kit Connor (Rocketman, Heartstopper), and Kate del Castillo (Under the Same Moon, La Reina del Sur) set to star. Filming has already begun in Yorkshire, England, according to Deadline.
“I am so incredibly blessed and honored to announce one of the biggest secrets of my life. #acubangirlsguidetoteaandtomorrow is currently being filmed in England and is being adapted by amazing @the.ace.entertainment 😍😍,” Namey said in her Instagram post announcing the news. “@maiareficco and @kit.connor you are my dream ‘book children’ and simply magical on screen.”
Originally published in 2019, the YA novel follows Lila Reyes, a girl living in Miami who dreams of inheriting her abuela’s panadería, moving in with her best friend, and living the happily-ever-after life after graduation. But when tragedy strikes and those dreams suddenly fall apart, her parents quickly ship her off to Winchester, England to spend the summer cooking at her aunt’s inn. It’s not until she sees the countryside and starts falling for Orion Maxwell, a charming teashop clerk, that she begins to dream of a different life for herself. Upon its publication, the book was selected as a Reese’s YA Book Club pick and has captured the hearts of readers all over the world.
Lila will be played by Argentine American actress and singer Maia Reficco, known for her roles as Noa Olivar in HBO’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and Nickelodeon’s Kally’s Mashup. She is also confirmed to star in the upcoming films Do Revenge and One Fast Move alongside Edward James Olmos.
Playing Orion is Kit Connor, who currently stars in the ongoing Netflix series for teens, Heartstopper. His past projects include His Dark Materials, Rocketman, and Ready Player One. And for telenovela fans, Kate Del Castillo is a familiar face, known for her work on Telemundo’s La Reina del Sur as Teresa Mendeoza. In the U.S., she has starred in various Hollywood projects including Jane the Virgin, Bad Boys for Life, and The Book of Life.
