From
LA Times
: Love ‘The Kissing Booth’? Actor Joel Courtney promises ‘KB2' is even better
Too much here to quote the entire article. But here’s a teaser:
Joel Courtney thinks “The Kissing Booth 2” is better than “The Kissing Booth.”
“I just think that we really came into our characters in more of a powerful way in the second film, because we knew the characters, we already had history with these characters,” said the actor, who plays Lee Flynn in Netflix’s rom-com sequel, which dropped on Friday.
“We had history with each other. I think that it really allowed for more depth of character and character building. And then on set, there was a comfortability.”
Once he found out there would be a second film, Courtney was excited to return to the characters that drove the original — Netflix’s most-rewatched movie of 2018 — and built a solid fan base.
“There were rumors [of a sequel],” he said. “There were basically fan petitions happening at that time and I kept thinking, ‘It would be nice, but I don’t want to build my hopes too high,’ and then we got the green light and I was just ecstatic. I was so excited to get to come back to these characters that I fell in love with.”
Within six months after the first film was released, the cast’s social media accounts exploded. Fans were begging for a second film.
“They fell in love with these characters,” said Courtney, 24. “I’ve been working for 10 years, I’ve worked on a lot of projects, but very few reached the audience like I think ‘The Kissing Booth’ did. And it was a really special occasion. I knew it as soon as social media started showing us.”
From
US Weekly
: Kiss and Tell
Kiss and Tell
From the moment Joel Courtney read the script for the 2018 hit The Kissing Booth, “I felt an instant connection, like a kindred spirit with [my character],” he tells Us. “Like Lee, I’m very much a goofball. I also have a hard time facing change.” In The Kissing Booth 2 (Netflix, July 24), which follows Lee and best friend Elle (Joey King) during their senior year of high school, he has to learn to balance having a girlfriend and a girl friend. “Lee’s such a kid at heart, and 95 percent of the time, it’s his greatest strength,” says Courtney. “The other 5 percent, it’s his greatest downfall.”
ART IMITATING LIFE The heart of the first film was Lee’s friendship with Elle, and Courtney says his relationship with Golden Globe nominee King is as strong in real life. “In the movie, there’s this theme of laughter — when I’m at my lowest, she can make me smile; when she’s past the point of breaking, I can lighten her spirit,” he says. “Joey and I have the same effect on each other.”
KISS GOODBYE? Although the second flick, like the first, ends in a cliff-hanger, Courtney thinks viewers will be satisfied: “It really leaves people with a hopeful ending.”
From
Buzz Feed
: "The Kissing Booth 2" Stars Joey King And Joel Courtney Took A BFF Test, And TBH, It's My Favorite Thing In The World
Get excited because The Kissing Booth 2 is ~officially~ streaming on Netflix.
And to celebrate, we had the movie's stars Joey King and Joel Courtney take our BFF test to see just how well they knew each other.
Do they know each other's birthdays? What were the last shows they watched on Netflix? Watch the video below to find out!