Amazon Prime is adapting Casey McQuiston's debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue into a film. Taylor Zakhar Perez (The Kissing Booth 2 & 3) is Alex Claremont-Diaz, First Son to the President of the United States in a world where the female Democratic Party candidate won the 2016 election. His mother, Ellen Claremont, will be portrayed by Uma Thurman. His partner in crime, Prince Henry from across the pond, is played by Nicholas Galitzine (Cinderella).

The book was an instant success, becoming a New York Times bestseller and garnering a large fanbase on the book-related section of TikTok called #BookTok. It's no surprise that a film adaptation was on the horizon with that kind of buzz. There's no word yet on if McQuiston's second novel, One Last Stop, which follows two queer characters that meet on a subway, though one of them is stuck there from a time-traveling incident, will get its own adaptation, though.

Red, White, & Royal Blue is in production now, meaning it won't hit screens until sometime next year (probably). Until then, there's time to read the book, become familiar with the characters and what they go through, and discover your favorite parts. Here are some moments that should be in the film adaptation, even if they aren't everyone's favorite.

The Cake Collision

Netflix's Is It Cake
Netflix

It wouldn't be Red, White, and Royal Blue without the cake incident. This event is everything to the book. It is the first introduction the reader has to Alex and Henry's dynamic, their history, and why Alex feels as strongly as he does at the beginning. The incident kicks off their publicity tour to show they are on good terms, which results in the two texting and becoming closer.

Without the cake, there is no loving relationship between them. If the cake scene doesn't happen, then the plot doesn't happen. There's really no way around it.

The Black and White of Henry

Nicholas Galitzine cinderella amazon prime
Amazon Prime Video

While much of the book is from Alex's point of view, through his eyes, the two sides of Prince Henry are shown. Readers see him transition from a very stiff, pointed person in public to the relaxed, loving man he is behind closed doors. A film gives more room to show that side of Henry from his point of view. Maybe they will even pull inspiration from the bonus Henry chapter that's included in the new collector's edition of the book coming out later this year.

Related: The Best Standalone Young Adult Book-to-Movie Adaptations, Ranked

Without the two different sides of Henry, his relationship with Alex doesn't necessarily make sense. Their public and private lives hinge on Henry, as Alex isn't expected to hide who he is from the world (save for during his mother's re-election campaign). Much of that is the way they were exposed to the press, as the First Son wasn't trained from a young age on how to present himself to the public like a Prince of Wales is.

Readers finally see both sides of Henry combine when he stands up for himself to his family, defending his choice to be with Alex. Without the clear sides to Henry, this final stand loses its significance, so it's crucial to include both sides to the character so that scene packs the punch it's meant to.

The Pop Culture References

pjo trio
Viria (tumblr)

One of the things that make Red, White, and Royal Blue so relatable, even if you are not the son of the first female President of the United States or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, are the references to iconic media franchises, like Parks and Recreation, Star Wars, and even Harry Potter. The Harry Potter references have been removed in a recent update to the book and changed to reference other popular franchises like Star Trek, DC Comics, Dracula, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Related: Harry Potter: Major References to Ancient Mythology

Even though the film is already in production, we hope that if any pop culture references are included, they reflect the most recent version of the book. Depending on what was included, it may be easy to make a quick script change. There is also a chance those involved with the film knew these changes were coming, either because the publisher or the author told them, and planned accordingly. Ultimately, it would be a disservice to the author's vision to ignore the changes she made to the text. It would even date the film, as fans of the book know about the changes and when they happened, and dating the film is the last thing those behind it should want.

The Lake House

Taylor Zakhar Perez kissing booth netflix
Netflix

Like the cake collision, what happens at the lake house is a turning point in their relationship. Alex realizes what Henry means to him after an emotional conversation with his father. The two young adults share some really important moments, and it's the last moment of calm before what happens in the following chapters. After the lake house, the two are outed, with videos and photos leaked from some of their previous get-togethers. This creates a number of issues that must be handled by the publicity teams of the two men.

In the same way that the cake scene is a turning point for them from hate to love, the lake house is a turning point from being in their own bubble to being out to the world. For that reason, it should be included in the adaptation.

If you aren't too busy sneaking into hotels for secret meetings, you can catch Nicholas Galitzine in his next film, Purple Hearts, this month on Netflix.