The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are driving the fictional chaos of Belly’s love triangle into a situation that’s all too real for the film’s cast and crew.

As production ramps up for the feature-length film, fans have been flocking to Wilmington, N.C., to get a glimpse of their fave characters and sneak a peek at the movie plot. But the whole ordeal has sparked some ~serious~ trouble for our Cousins cast.

You know what guys? This is not ok.
A shooting set is not a concert, wtf is that crowd?

Both Lola and Chris showing signs of anxiety I hate this. And it’s not fair to the workers who have to do extra work to deal with a whole crowd of ppl camping on the other side of the road 🤦‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/mEcunqTcRD

— 🍗 (@MrsFajita) June 17, 2026

Here’s all the deets we know about the drama on set—and everything we can do to draw the line between healthy fangirling and something that’s totally…creepy. 

Crowd Complications

According to Jenny Han, the set’s surrounding crowds have consistently broken focus and halted filming. We can’t blame the cast, either: Imagine trying to remember your lines or lock in for a dramatic scene with a mob of randos watching you from the sidewalk. With that level of stress plus unauthorized filming and leaked photos, it’s no wonder the TSITP team feels “thrown to the wolves”.

@msnatmarie no clips from filming are shown in this video!!!! showing the crowds & the chaos 😵‍💫 videos from: @Daylen @SarahSheldon || i can’t find the others but pls lmk if your video is used in this & i will add the tag #greenscreen #thesummeriturnedpretty #tsitp #filmtok #fyp ♬ original sound – Nat 🎬

Better Ways To Fangirl

We know how exciting the thought of seeing your on-screen faves IRL is. But fans’ leaking of filming locations and on-set spying is starting to create some *big* negatives for both the movie’s production and the well-being of our fave summer stars. If you just can’t wait for the TSITP release, we’ve got some alternate activities that maintain fangirl fashion and *also* make sure everyone stays safe! 

Live Like Belly Conklin For A Day

Though you can’t watch the latest of this hopeless romantic on-screen (yet), there are still ways to incorporate Cousins into your routine! Write down a schedule for your day and, with each activity, think to yourself: “What would Belly do?”

Maybe you take an early morning swim at your community pool, share a banana split with your BFF or download Duolingo and practice your French skills. You could even make a Pinterest vision board for your ultimate France getaway. To end the day, you could spend a movie-musical night with your mom. If you’re going full-Belly mode, make sure to choose *carefully* between the Sour Patch Kids and the Swedish Fish (IYKYK). 

Host A Team Jeremiah vs. Team Conrad Night

You and your squad could totally immerse yourselves in TSITP vibes by splitting up a hangout into two halves–one dedicated to Team Jeremiah and one dedicated to Team Conrad. 

The Team Jeremiah girls could plan a “date” for Team Conrad girls and vice versa. Options include (but are not limited to) going peach picking, slushy runs or a hot chocolate bar! Whoever creates the most swoon-worthy time gets crowned the winning team (at least until the movie comes out). 

Paint Portraits With Your Besties

What better way to honor Susannah’s artistic love language than a craft night with your gal pals? 

You could take this a v. comedic route and try to paint a portrait *without* looking at the canvas, or you could take your time Susannah-style and try your best to capture every freckle, dimple and essence of your friend’s face. 

Good news: This activity is perfect to multi-task and stream old TSITP seasons while you work.

For more Cousins-inspired fun, check out these articles:
🏖️TSITP inspired outfits fresh out of Cousins Beach
🏖️I mastered Belly Conklin’s beauty Look from TSITP
🏖️How to have a Belly Conklin summer

All images: @thesummeriturnedpretty