Better Than the Movies finds its rom-com leads in Mckenna Grace and Mason Gooding

The long-awaited screen adaptation of Lynn Painter’s bestselling young-adult romance Better Than the Movies has publicly revealed its central casting. Mckenna Grace will play romantic-comedy devotee Liz Buxbaum, while Mason Gooding will portray her charming neighbor and longtime rival, Wes Bennett.

Key takeaways

The announcement marks a significant step forward for the adaptation and gives fans their first clear look at its on-screen romantic pairing.

• Mckenna Grace is set to play Liz Buxbaum.

• Mason Gooding will portray Wes Bennett.

• The story follows a teen romance shaped by movie expectations and real-life complications.

• The casting brings two established young performers to the project.

A fan-favorite romance moves to the screen

Better Than the Movies centers on Liz Buxbaum, a teenager who has built her romantic expectations around classic films. When she seeks help from Wes Bennett, the seemingly irritating neighbor who knows more about her life than she would like, her carefully planned love story begins to take an unexpected turn.

That premise gives the adaptation a natural connection to Era-zine’s interest in culture and intentional living: the story asks whether a meaningful life can be designed according to familiar narratives—or whether genuine connection requires leaving those scripts behind.

Mckenna Grace steps into the role of Liz

Grace, known for work across film and television, will lead the adaptation as Liz. The role calls for a balance of heightened romantic fantasy and recognizable teenage uncertainty, as Liz learns that real relationships rarely follow the neat structure of a favorite movie.

Her casting also positions the project around a performer with experience in both emotionally grounded drama and accessible mainstream entertainment. That range could help the film appeal beyond its established book readership.

Mason Gooding plays Wes Bennett

Gooding will play Wes, Liz’s neighbor and reluctant romantic collaborator. Although Wes initially appears to be the opposite of Liz’s idealized leading man, his familiarity with her world makes him an important counterpoint to the fantasies she has constructed around romance.

The casting builds on Gooding’s profile in contemporary youth-oriented film and television, making him a natural fit for a character whose appeal depends on confidence, humor, and a more complicated emotional undercurrent.

What the casting means for the adaptation

By announcing both leads publicly, the production has moved from a popular literary property toward a clearly defined screen identity. The central challenge will be preserving the novel’s self-aware humor while making Liz and Wes’s relationship feel credible outside the heightened language of romantic fiction.

For readers who connected with Painter’s blend of nostalgia, banter, and emotional growth, the casting offers the first substantial indication of how the adaptation may translate that tone. Further details about the release schedule and supporting cast will determine how soon audiences can see the pairing in action.