Two of young Hollywood’s biggest stars are uniting for a major new romance film, Chasing Red. Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) and Gavin Casalegno (The Summer I Turned Pretty) have been cast as the leads in the highly anticipated adaptation of Isabelle Ronin’s hit Wattpad webnovel, which has amassed over 260 million reads online.
The film follows straight-A student Veronica (Petsch) who, while trying to flee a painful past, finds herself homeless. Despite her determination to resist the charm of college heartthrob Caleb (Casalegno), an electric attraction sparks between them. The stakes are raised when Veronica is forced to take reluctant shelter under Caleb’s roof, leading to an addictive, slow-burn romance.
The film boasts a high-commercial package, with producers including those behind the successful After franchise. Production for the Madelaine Petsch Gavin Casalegno Chasing Red movie is set to begin in early 2026 in the scenic region of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, which will be utilized to recreate the American college setting.
Its massive built-in fanbase has already secured major international distribution deals, including a significant purchase by Amazon Prime Video for key global territories. The casting of the two established young adult favorites positions the Madelaine Petsch Gavin Casalegno Chasing Red adaptation as a guaranteed blockbuster success in the global romance genre.
