WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Netflix's To All the Boys: Always and Forever

I spoke with Jenny Han by phone before the premiere of To All the Boys: Always and Forever (February 12 Opening) - the third and final film in the "To All the Boys I Loved Before" (opens in a new tab) series - I can't help but feel comfortable when I speak with Jenny Han on the phone before the premiere of the film. It's the same comfort I felt while watching the first film in 2018, "To All the Boys," a reimagining of Han's New York Times bestselling trilogy (opens in new tab) of the same name, and wishing such a film had been released in my early high school years. in the midst of teenage crush Who wouldn't want a movie dedicated to the wildly exhilarating and intense feeling of being in the middle of a teenage crush?" i didn't know what i was missing.

Before I missed the final film, Han and I discussed the pandemic, and somehow the conversation came down to whether or not I would re-sign my New York City lease. Han seemed genuinely interested in my decision, pointing out the charms of New York in the fall and how "nice and cozy" the winter snow was despite the freezing temperatures. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) discovers the same magic of "Always and Forever" while on a high school graduation trip with Peter (Noah Centineo) and her classmates: New York City. Although New York was not one of the original settings of Han's book, the subtle similarities between Han and Lara Jean's love of New York remind us of Han's clear influence on her characters.

In preparation for saying goodbye to Lara Jean and Peter's love story, Han has also included the main difference between the third and final book, Lara Jean and Peter ten years later (spoiler alert: Han "could go in a lot of different ways, so people can interpret what happens next in their own way, so I'm a little I want to keep it open-ended," so he couldn't really talk about it), and yes, he revealed about that sex scene.

Marie Claire: How does it feel to have (almost) delivered this final installment to the world?

Jenny Han: It feels like it took a long time because we shot the third one right after we shot the second one. we started shooting "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" in March 2019. Then we started shooting the third film in early June and finished in September. So we were working on it for a minute, and it's exciting to finally share it with you guys.

MC: While watching the scene with Lara Jean and her family in Seoul, I felt nostalgic for the pre-pandemic world. Did you travel with the cast during the filming of that scene?

JH: Yeah, we went to Korea, we went to New York. I was only in Vancouver for a little bit. My family is from Korea and I live in New York, so both Korea and New York are personal places for me. So it was really fun to be able to go to these special places with the cast and crew. For many of the people filming in New York, it was also the first time for them to film in New York.

As someone who has lived in New York since my 20s, I always remember walking around and seeing signs that said you can't park here because something is being filmed here. I always wondered what they were filming. I really enjoyed being able to shoot my own stuff. In Korea, my parents and relatives were also at the shoot, so it was special to show them what I had been working on and have them experience it. Both of my parents were very proud of me for being able to come back to Korea and have that moment.

MC: I thought Lara Jean's love for New York was perfectly expressed in the film. It didn't feel cheesy. It's one of those "you-know-what" moments if you've ever fallen in love with New York at first sight. How did you reimagine it for the film?

JH: Well, it's interesting because the book is set in Virginia. [Netflix set it in Portland because we shot it in Vancouver, which is a similar place. Virginia is not really similar. At that point we had never shot in any other city for the film. We always shot at Lara Jean's house and school in Vancouver. Her world was really small. New York is an iconic place. New York means something to people. People remember the first time they visited New York and what they felt there. There is an energy there. We wanted to create a moment in New York where she was spellbound

One of the coolest moments behind the scenes was when we lit up the Empire State Building in our colors: teal, magenta, and yellow. In the background of the scene where she looks out over the entire city, people may not notice, but for me, as a New Yorker, it was a really cool moment to look up and know that it was lit up for us.

MC: Let's talk about virgins. What was the idea behind the scene where Lara Jean assumes Peter will take her virginity?

JH: Well, that doesn't happen in the book. So for me personally, it's really nice to see her go on that journey. In many ways, she has really grown up. I think it was nice to be able to show that as a coming-of-age story. I felt like it could have gone either way. I certainly don't want young people to feel that it is an essential part of their high school experience. The timing of that is different for everyone.

But overall, it's nice to be shown those moments, and they weren't gratuitous or super sexy in my opinion. It felt more like Lara Jean and Peter to me. Hopefully, for the viewer, it felt like a positive experience, that from the beginning, Lara Jean was clear about what she wanted, where her boundaries were, and that she was going at her own tempo. It was something she pondered. I think it was really well done.

MC: I appreciate the fact that Peter said at the beginning, "This doesn't feel right," and saved it for another moment.

JH: Yes, it did. But there are a lot of emotions involved there, and everyone is going at their own pace. I don't think sex is necessary to express youth. I don't think that has anything to do with growing up. But it's also valid and normal. For me, Lara Jean's stories have portrayed the idea that there are many ways to be a teenage girl and that you don't have to achieve certain milestones in order to have a valid high school experience. They don't have to do those things in order to feel like an adult.

MC: Over the years, you have made many young Asian girls feel "seen." Are there any particular moments from this journey that have left a lasting impression on you?

JH: Halloween the year the film was released was really special. It was really cool to see all the young Asian American women in particular taking over the place like, "This is my character, this is my big day."

MC: Looking back on the three film adaptations, is there anything you would have done differently?

JH: No. For me, as the original author, I go into it like, "A movie is a movie, a book is a book. For me, the film is the vision of the director and the filmmaker, and it's more of a collaborative process. In a way, I keep the two separate in my mind. The most important thing for me was to feel the same coziness and warmth that I did when I read the book. You can watch a movie and walk away feeling the same way. I think the film accomplishes that.

MC: What's next for you?

JH: I am writing a script for a new anthology show (opens in a new tab) about love that Shonda Rhimes is producing for Netflix. She uses a variety of creatives to write episodes, and my episode is one of them. [Editor's note: After this interview, it was announced that Han's YA novel "The Summer I Turned Pretty" (opens in new tab) will be adapted into an 8-episode series on Amazon (opens in new tab). Han had this to say to MC after the announcement:] We've been working on a summer TV adaptation for the past few years, so it's kind of fitting that as one story ends, another begins.

"To All the Boys: Always and Forever" is available on Netflix starting February 12. Click here to watch it (opens in a new tab).