(L-r) CHARLES MELTON and YARA SHAHIDI on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, a Warner Bros. pictures release. (Photo by Atsushi Nishijima)

Warner Bros. announced today that production began on the upcoming THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR starring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton as Natasha and Daniel. THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR is based on the book of #1 New Your Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon, who also wrote Everything, Everything. “I’m beyond thrilled this movie is being made! This book is deeply personal to me and Yara and Charles are the perfect choice to bring Natasha and Daniel’s story to life on the big screen,” Nicola stated.

The film is directed by Ry Russo-Young, who directed Before I Fall, and she said: “I’m delighted to be working with Yara and Charles on this heartfelt love story, which is both timeless and timely. Nicola Yoon has given us a beautiful story to tell and we all couldn’t be more excited to make the streets of New York City, where I grew up not that long ago, our stage for the next few weeks. I fell in love with these characters and I know Yara and Charles will bring them alive and make this movie their own. I can’t wait to see what they do.”

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR has been on the New York Times bestseller list since its release, and has received multiple accolades, including: 2016 National Book Award Finalist; Amazon’s Best Book of 2016 in YA; Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016 in YA; the New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2016; and Entertainment Weekly’s 10 Best Books of 2016.

An Alloy Entertainment production, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures’ THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR is slated to be release on May 17, 2019.

More about the film

College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet—and fall for each other—over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City.  Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push.  But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love?  With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together.

A modern-day story about finding love against all odds, THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR explores whether our lives are determined by fate or the random events of the universe.

Russo-Young directs from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver. The film’s producers are Elysa Koplovitz Dutton and Leslie Morgenstein, who served as producers on Everything, Everything.  Tracy Oliver and Pam Hirsch serve as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Autumn Durald, production designer Wynn Thomas, editor Joe Landauer, and costume designer Deirdra Govan.