The Last Sunrise may look like another sunlit streaming romance, but its story began on the page before Maia Reficco and Fernando Lindez brought its central relationship to Prime Video.
The film is an adaptation of Anna Todd’s 2025 novel of the same name. Todd is best known for the After series, but The Last Sunrise moves away from that franchise to tell a self-contained story about illness, independence, first love and a young woman who is tired of waiting for her life to begin.
For readers wondering whether they need to finish the novel before watching—or viewers deciding whether the book is worth reading afterward—here is what connects the two versions.
Is The Last Sunrise based on a book?
Yes. The Last Sunrise is based on Anna Todd’s romance novel, published on May 6, 2025.
The book follows 22-year-old Oriah “Ry” Pera, a sheltered young American whose chronic health problems and protective mother have limited many of her experiences. Ry travels to Majorca when her mother’s work takes them to the Spanish island, giving her an unexpected opportunity to step outside the routine that has defined her life.
Ry’s first small act of independence leads her to the beach, where she meets Julian, a confident local who initially sees her as an inexperienced tourist. Their tense first impressions gradually develop into attraction, adventure and a relationship that forces Ry to consider what she wants from her own future.
The novel is not simply about finding romance in an attractive destination. Its more important conflict concerns Ry’s struggle to make decisions for herself while living with a medical condition and a mother whose concern has become restrictive.
Who wrote the original novel?
Anna Todd wrote The Last Sunrise. She is the bestselling author behind the After novels, which developed from an online readership into an internationally successful publishing and film franchise.
Todd’s official website describes The Last Sunrise as a moving and empowering romance about a sheltered woman whose life changes during a summer in Majorca. Unlike the multi-book relationship at the center of After, this novel presents a complete coming-of-age romance within one story.
Todd is also involved with the film as a producer. That does not guarantee that every scene or detail from the novel will appear on screen, but her participation creates a direct connection between the source material and its adaptation.
What is the Prime Video film about?
The basic premise remains closely aligned with the novel.
Maia Reficco plays Ry, who travels to Mallorca with her mother, Isolde, played by Eva Longoria. During the trip, Ry meets Julián, portrayed by Fernando Lindez, and begins experiencing the freedom and romance she has long felt was beyond her reach.
Their relationship develops against the pressure of Ry’s health, her approaching return home and her mother’s desire to protect her. Family secrets further complicate a summer that initially appears to offer a simple escape.
The film is directed by Carlson Young and has a reported running time of approximately one hour and 46 minutes. It premieres globally on Prime Video on August 26, 2026.
The supporting cast includes Andrés Velencoso, Chloé Sweetlove and Sabrina Bartlett.
Who plays the book’s main characters?
Maia Reficco leads the adaptation as Oriah “Ry” Pera.
Reficco must communicate two sides of the character at once: a young woman aware of her physical vulnerability and someone increasingly frustrated by the limits other people place around her. Ry’s journey depends on her feeling like a complete person rather than a fragile character waiting for romance to transform her.
Fernando Lindez plays Julián, the Mallorcan local who encourages Ry to experience the island beyond the boundaries established by her mother. The relationship needs more than visual chemistry. Julián must feel like a believable person with his own life and motivations, not simply an attractive symbol of freedom.
Eva Longoria plays Isolde, Ry’s mother. Her role may be particularly important because the story’s family conflict should not have an obvious villain. Isolde’s protectiveness comes from fear and experience, even when it prevents Ry from making independent decisions.
Majorca in the book and Mallorca in the film
Readers may see both “Majorca” and “Mallorca” used when discussing the story. They refer to the same Spanish island; Majorca is the traditional English spelling, while Mallorca is the Spanish and Catalan form commonly used today.
The island is more than a decorative background. Its beaches, coastal communities and sense of distance from Ry’s American life create the conditions for her transformation.
For Ry, Mallorca represents possibility. It allows her to imagine an identity that is not controlled entirely by medical appointments, her mother’s anxiety or other people’s expectations. The location therefore supports the story’s emotional conflict rather than functioning only as attractive scenery.
What themes does the adaptation need to preserve?
The romance between Ry and Julián will attract much of the attention, but the story’s strongest ideas extend beyond their relationship.
Living with chronic illness
Ry’s condition affects her choices, but it should not become her entire personality. A thoughtful adaptation must show the practical and emotional realities of her health without treating her as an object of pity.
It must also avoid suggesting that falling in love cures her condition. Julián can help Ry discover confidence and possibility, but romance should not replace medical reality or personal agency.
Protection versus control
Isolde wants to keep her daughter safe. Ry wants the right to decide what risks and experiences make her life meaningful.
That conflict is difficult because both positions contain some truth. Isolde’s fear is understandable, while Ry’s frustration is equally legitimate. The film will be more emotionally convincing if it gives both women room to be right, wrong and frightened.
Independence
Ry’s journey is ultimately about ownership. She is learning to make decisions that belong to her, even when those decisions make the people who love her uncomfortable.
Her relationship with Julián is important because it opens a door, but Ry must be the person who chooses to walk through it.
The pressure of limited time
A summer romance already carries an expiration date. Ry’s health and eventual return to America intensify that pressure, making every experience feel both exciting and temporary.
The challenge for the film is to create urgency without using illness as an easy method of manipulating the audience.
How closely does the film follow the novel?
The released story information preserves the novel’s foundation: Ry’s chronic health concerns, her protective mother, the trip to Mallorca, her meeting with Julián and her attempt to begin living more independently.
However, a responsible comparison must wait until the completed film can be assessed against the book.
A 106-minute adaptation cannot include every conversation, internal thought, supporting character or subplot from a full-length novel. Changes to pacing and structure are inevitable. What matters is whether the film retains the emotional purpose of the material it condenses.
Claims about removed characters, rewritten scenes or a different ending should not be treated as fact unless they can be verified from the finished movie or confirmed by the filmmakers.
Do you need to read the book before watching?
No. The Prime Video film is designed to work as a self-contained story, so viewers should be able to understand it without reading the novel.
Reading the book first may provide greater access to Ry’s thoughts, particularly her feelings about her health, her mother and the speed at which her relationship with Julián develops. Novels can remain inside a character’s perspective in a way that films often cannot.
Watching first may be preferable for viewers who want to experience the movie without comparing every scene to its source. The book can then offer a more detailed return to the characters and setting.
Neither order is necessarily better.
Who should read the book?
Anna Todd’s novel may appeal to readers who enjoy:
New-adult romance with emotional complications
Stories about independence and overprotective families
European summer settings
Relationships shaped by a limited amount of time
Heroines navigating illness without abandoning their ambitions
Self-contained romances rather than long series
Readers who know Todd primarily through After should not assume this is another version of Tessa and Hardin’s relationship. The Last Sunrise has its own characters and places greater emphasis on personal autonomy, health and the bond between a mother and daughter.
Who should watch the film?
The adaptation should interest viewers who enjoy emotionally serious romances such as stories about first love, family tension and young adults facing circumstances larger than the relationship itself.
It may also attract viewers interested in Maia Reficco and Fernando Lindez, as well as Eva Longoria fans who want to see her in a substantial maternal role.
Anyone looking for uncomplicated holiday escapism should approach it carefully. The Mallorca scenery may be inviting, but chronic illness and family conflict are central to the premise.
Flicklevel verdict
The Last Sunrise is a natural candidate for adaptation because its story combines an attractive visual setting with an internal struggle that can translate into strong performances.
The film’s success will depend on whether it looks beyond the familiar shape of a summer romance. Ry’s medical condition cannot exist merely to make the love story sadder, and Isolde cannot be reduced to the mother who stands between two attractive young people.
If the adaptation respects the novel’s central question—how do you protect a life without preventing it from being lived?—it could become one of Prime Video’s more emotionally grounded romantic dramas.
Final opinion
Readers do not need to finish Anna Todd’s novel before watching The Last Sunrise, but knowing its origins makes the film’s real purpose clearer.
This is not only a story about Ry meeting Julián in Mallorca. It is about a young woman deciding that uncertainty should not disqualify her from having a full life. The romance gives that decision urgency, while the mother-and-daughter relationship gives it consequence.
Flicklevel will reserve any definitive book-to-film comparison until the adaptation has been watched in full. Until then, the confirmed material suggests a faithful foundation, a promising cast and a story that will need sensitivity as much as chemistry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Last Sunrise adapted from an Anna Todd novel?
Yes. The film is based on Anna Todd’s 2025 novel The Last Sunrise.
Is The Last Sunrise connected to the After series?
No. It is a separate story with different characters and is not part of the After franchise.
Who plays Ry in The Last Sunrise?
Maia Reficco plays Oriah “Ry” Pera.
Who plays Julián?
Spanish actor Fernando Lindez portrays Julián, the local Ry meets during her summer in Mallorca.
Who plays Ry’s mother?
Eva Longoria plays Isolde, Ry’s protective mother.
Where can I watch The Last Sunrise?
The film premieres globally on Prime Video on August 26, 2026. Regional availability should be confirmed through the local Prime Video application.
Should I read the book before watching the movie?
It is not required. Reading first may provide more access to Ry’s thoughts, while watching first allows viewers to encounter the adaptation without constant comparison.
Trusted sources: Anna Todd’s official page for The Last Sunrise | Amazon MGM Studios – The Last Sunrise