Netflix's 'This Summer Will Be Different' Heads to Prince Edward Island and Toronto for Late Summer 2026 Production

Netflix Canada is heading to the coast, and working professionals looking for their next opportunity should take note. 'This Summer Will Be Different,' the streamer's ten-episode adaptation of Carley Fortune's bestselling romance novel, is ramping up in pre-production ahead of a principal photography start on August 31, 2026. With filming scheduled to run through mid-October across both Prince Edward Island and Toronto, and with the main cast already locked, the production is now at the stage where department heads and key crew are actively being brought on board. This is one to move on quickly.

The series is created and showrun by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, the writing and producing duo best known for their work on the acclaimed Canadian drama 'Sort Of,' which earned widespread critical praise during its run on CBC and HBO Max. That background signals a production with strong character-driven instincts and a sharp, emotionally intelligent writers' room. Their collaborator here is director Karen Maine, whose feature debut 'Yes, God, Yes' demonstrated a confident, empathetic touch with young women navigating complicated feelings and social expectations. Maine brings exactly the right sensibility to Fortune's source material, and the fact that she is attached early suggests she will likely be involved in setting the visual and tonal template for the series. The cast is anchored by Sophie Nélisse, known for her work in 'The Book Thief' and the Showtime series 'Yellowjackets,' playing protagonist Lucy. Francesca Reale, recognizable to audiences from 'Stranger Things,' plays Bridget, and Roby Attal rounds out the central trio as Felix. The three leads give the production genuine marquee appeal, and their collective profiles point to a series Netflix is positioning as a tentpole romantic drama rather than a quiet limited release.

The production is in good hands on the business side as well. Sphere Media is one of Canada's most prolific and well-regarded independent production companies, with a deep track record in scripted television that includes both domestic hits and international co-productions. They know how to run a large-scale Canadian series efficiently and have strong relationships with the country's guild infrastructure. Carley Fortune herself serves as executive producer alongside Jennifer Kawaja, Elise Cousineau, and Samantha Levine, giving the adaptation a direct creative throughline to the source novel. Netflix Canada is the producing partner and streamer, which places this comfortably in the upper tier of Canadian television productions in terms of budget and ambition. A ten-episode straight-to-series order from Netflix, combined with a publicized five-million-dollar provincial investment from Prince Edward Island, confirms this is not a modest regional production. Crew can reasonably expect a full union shoot operating under ACTRA and the applicable IATSE agreements.

The locations are where this production gets especially interesting for working professionals. Prince Edward Island is the central location, both narratively and physically, and the province has committed five million dollars to bring the production to its shores, making this the largest Netflix Canada production ever to film on PEI. That level of investment signals meaningful government support and a production that intends to genuinely embed itself in the island's landscape rather than fake it elsewhere. PEI has a beautiful coastline and a distinctive summer aesthetic that will serve the material well, but it is a smaller market with a limited local crew base for a production of this scale. That reality typically means department heads and many senior crew members will be brought in from larger Canadian hubs, most likely Toronto and Montreal, and travel and accommodation packages will be part of the deal for those positions. The production will also spend significant time in Toronto, which provides access to the city's deep and experienced crew community, stage facilities, and post-production infrastructure. For Toronto-based professionals, the combination of a familiar home base and a scenic PEI location shoot makes this an unusually appealing package.

In terms of what departments are likely gearing up right now, the material offers clear signals. A sun-soaked coastal romance spanning multiple summers of a character's life will require a production designer and costume designer who can build out a warm, aspirational visual world with enough variety across the ten episodes to feel lived-in rather than repetitive. A location manager with genuine PEI knowledge or the willingness to spend extended time on the island will be essential given how central the setting is to the entire premise of the series. The emotional intimacy of the story suggests a cinematographer comfortable with naturalistic light and close performance-driven coverage, and with Karen Maine setting the tone, the visual approach is likely to favor warmth and specificity over high-concept flashiness. A ten-episode run wrapping in mid-October also implies a fairly compressed schedule, so experienced production coordinators and department coordinators who can keep a fast-moving set organized across two filming locations will be in high demand.

For the full crew list, production office contacts, and scheduling details for 'This Summer Will Be Different,' the complete listing is live now on ProductionList.com. Given that the August 31 start is just over five months out and the cast is already confirmed, the hiring window for senior positions is open right now. Department heads in particular should be reaching out through the appropriate channels immediately. Bookmark the listing and check back regularly as contacts and office addresses are updated through pre-production.

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