Two brothers, two girlfriends, one kissing booth, and one... Dance Dance Revolution competition? OK, so you can't count on the Kissing Booth movies to always make sense, but you can count on them for some good old fashioned teenage romance.
Kissing Booth 3 drops Wednesday, August 11, on Netflix, and in this installment, Elle (Joey King) has a swoon-worthy romance with older college guy Noah (Jacob Elordi), but things get complicated when Elle's best friend Lee (Joel Courtney) has a more-than-friends crush on Elle... even though he's dating Rachel (Meganne Young). And, of course, Elle and Rachel don't get along.
We spoke with Meganne Young exclusively about how many entanglements fans should look out for as the Kissing Booth trilogy concludes, how she and Rachel have grown up together, and more.
The Dipp: How have you grown since the first movie came out in 2018, and how has Rachel matured, also?
Meganne Young: So much has happened since the first film, in my own life, in the life of the characters, and in the world. I think I’ve become a lot more confident in myself, a lot more settled. And I would say the same for Rachel. I think we both have a stronger sense of self reaching the third film.
The Dipp: The love triangle – or square – between Rachel, Elle, Lee, and Noah has been the crux of the series. If you were in a similar situation to Rachel in real life, how would you handle your boyfriend having a female best friend?
Meganne: The thing is, it’s not about Elle being a female best friend to Lee, it’s about Lee’s struggle to make time for these two important relationships. I never played Rachel to be jealous because she was threatened by Elle. She’s not. She wants to have some space for her and Lee’s relationship, separate from Elle. I think anyone who has been in a relationship will relate to that need to balance time between the important people in your life. I value one on one, quality time with romantic partners, friends and family members alike.
The Dipp: The second film shows some tension between Rachel and Elle. Can you tease whether they'll be friends or foes in the third movie?
Meganne: Well, we know they ended in a really good place at the end of The Kissing Booth 2... and we also know that good storytelling never keeps everyone in the same place, so, we’ll have to see.
The Dipp: Elle has to decide whether to follow her dreams or her heart, and then balance two different promises she made to two brothers. If you were in her shoes, which college would you pick?
Meganne: It’s so hard. I don’t envy her at all! I think I’d choose to go to Berkeley with Lee but I’m obviously 100% biased because Lee is just the gosh darn best!
The Dipp: How do Rachel's relationships with Lee and Elle evolve, and will we get to see her in college at some point?
Meganne: The third film is all about their last summer before college, so we won’t see Rachel on campus. Spin-off opportunity?! Just kidding! I do think the relationships continue to be explored in the third movie so I’m excited for the fans to continue that journey with us. This is probably the most fun out of all three films. It’s everything summer should feel like.
Photo: Tom Belding - Photographer (@thetombelding); Jason Pillay - Stylist (@jasonpillay); Jada Cianne Arriola - MUA (@jadaciannearriola); Shabnam Saeiarasi - Hair (@hairby.shabnam); Meganne Young - Creative Director (@youngmeganne_)