Hollywood Brings Cousins Beach to Massachusetts
Downtown Plymouth is undergoing a cinematic transformation this week. Production for “Keeping Score,” the highly anticipated movie sequel to the hit Amazon Prime series “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” officially commenced on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. The filming has temporarily taken over the historic district of Plymouth, Massachusetts, bringing both Hollywood prestige and logistical adjustments to the coastal town.
Crews have been actively utilizing key locations across the municipality, primarily focusing daytime shoots along Main Street, Court Street, Brewster Street, and North Street, with nighttime scenes scheduled for Leyden Street. To accommodate the extensive production setup, local authorities and the Plymouth Police Department have coordinated temporary parking restrictions and road closures. While the disruption affects daily commuter routines, local excitement remains high as fans have already spotted series leads Lola Tung and Christopher Briney filming scenes in the area.
The Shift to New England: Architecture and Incentives
Fans of the Jenny Han series are familiar with the fictional coastal town of Cousins Beach, which has heavily relied on Wilmington, North Carolina, for its primary backdrop in previous seasons. The shift to Plymouth introduces a distinctly colonial New England charm to the sequel, utilizing the historic architecture and quintessential coastal aesthetics of America’s Hometown to bring the next chapter of the story to life.
Beyond the scenic appeal, Massachusetts offers a highly competitive financial environment for film productions. State legislation provides filmmakers with a robust tax incentive package, which includes a 25 percent production credit, a 25 percent payroll credit, and a complete sales tax exemption. Any production that spends more than $50,000 within the state qualifies for the payroll credit. These aggressive financial incentives have increasingly positioned Massachusetts as a premier destination for major studio projects looking to maximize their production budgets without sacrificing location quality.
Economic and Tourism Impact: A Look Ahead
The immediate future for Plymouth will involve navigating the balance between a massive production footprint and local residential life. The series’ production team has actively requested privacy, asking the public to avoid visiting active sets to prevent safety hazards and delays for the cast and crew. However, the long-term economic forecast for Plymouth looks exceptionally promising.
Film-induced tourism, often referred to as set-jetting, is anticipated to drive a significant influx of visitors to the region following the film’s eventual release. The Plymouth area already boasts a robust tourism sector, with state data showing regional visitor spending topped the $1 billion mark in 2024. The global popularity of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” franchise is predicted to push those figures even higher in the coming years as international fans travel to experience the real-life Cousins Beach.
As audiences look to trace the footsteps of their favorite characters, local businesses ranging from waterfront hotels to Main Street cafes are likely to see increased foot traffic. Furthermore, the successful execution of this major Amazon MGM production signals to other studios that Plymouth is fully capable of hosting large-scale projects, potentially ushering in a new era of entertainment-driven economic growth for the historic coastal community.
