Why was Jeon Ho-Young (Dae) recast in XO, Kitty?

The spin-off series to the To All the Boys film trilogy, XO, Kitty, is set to land on Netflix on May 18, and fans of the popular movies have a question regarding the spin-off’s cast. They want to know why a particular actor was recast in the teen series.

XO, Kitty follows teen love guru Kitty Song Covey as she moves halfway across the globe to Korea to reunite and reconnect with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae. If you recall from To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Kitty meets Dae while on a family trip to South Korea when they were both in the seventh grade. They decide to keep in touch over the years and enter into a long-distance relationship.

Anna Cathcart played Kitty in To All the Boys: Always and Forever and reprised her role in the series. But the actor who played Dae in the movie is not the same actor you’ll see playing the Dae character in XO, Kitty. Why is this the case? Here’s what we know.

On April 25, Netflix dropped the official trailer for XO, Kitty, and people instantly noticed that the original actor who played Dae in the third film of the To All the Boys film franchise is not playing the same character in the spin-off. South Korean actor Jeon Ho-Young portrayed Dae in To All the Boys: Always and Forever, but Choi Min-young took over the role in the spin-off.

The exact reason why Jeon Ho-Young was recast is unknown, but many have speculated that his recasting was because of his busy schedule. According to Koreaboo, the news outlet believes Jeon Ho-Young was recast because he was preparing to be a contestant on the South Korean reality competition Boys Planet at the time the teen series was being filmed. But keep in mind that the reason for his recast has never been revealed. This is pure speculation.

Whatever the reason may be for Jeon Ho-Young’s exit, we can’t wait to see Choi Min-young take over the role! He’s a rising star, previously having roles in the Korean series The Promise, Strong Girl Bong-soon, Itaewon Class and Twenty-Five Twenty-One.

XO, Kitty arrives on Netflix on May 18.