In Waves Netflix Adaptation: Release Date, Cast and the Graphic Memoir

By Ahaqir Ishaq | October 16, 2026

In Waves arrives on Netflix on December 11, 2026, bringing AJ Dungo’s autobiographical graphic memoir to the screen as an animated feature. With Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu voicing its central couple, the film explores first love, illness and the connection two people find through surfing.

For readers discovering the book through the adaptation, its nonfiction foundation matters. This is a personal account of love and loss, with the ocean running through both its subject matter and its imagery.

In Waves: Key Details

When Does In Waves Come Out on Netflix?

Netflix’s official announcement confirms the December 11 release. The film previously opened the 2026 Cannes Critics’ Week, so its streaming arrival follows its festival debut.

There is also a separate French theatrical date: producer Silex Films lists July 1, 2026. That distinction explains why readers may encounter different release dates while searching for the adaptation.

What Is In Waves About?

The film follows AJ, a Los Angeles teenager who enjoys skateboarding and drawing, and Kristen, whose passion is surfing. Their relationship brings AJ into an unfamiliar world, including the water he initially fears. When Kristen becomes ill, they face an uncertain future together.

The premise puts their shared activity at the center of the relationship. Surfing gives them a way to spend time together, build trust and find a community beyond themselves.

Which Book Is the Netflix Movie Based On?

The source is In Waves by AJ Dungo, published by Flying Eye Books. Although it is frequently called a graphic novel, the publisher identifies it as nonfiction: Dungo remembers his late partner and her experience with cancer while exploring the history of surfing.

According to the publisher’s description, the book intertwines his relationship with accounts of influential figures in the sport. That combination gives readers two connected subjects to explore: an intimate memoir and a wider surfing culture.

It also makes the book an interesting starting point for readers who usually choose prose memoirs. The illustrations are part of the storytelling, so reading it offers a different experience from simply learning the events behind the film.

Is In Waves Based on a True Story?

Yes. Its foundation is Dungo’s own relationship and bereavement. However, the adaptation includes dramatization.

In Netflix’s October 14 adaptation feature, Dungo explains that the filmmakers asked about experiences beyond those included in the book. The screenwriters developed a fictionalized version of AJ while drawing on his real ambitions, relationships and memories.

That is a useful distinction when approaching the movie: autobiographical source material does not mean every conversation or scene is a literal reconstruction.

Who Voices AJ and Kristen?

Will Sharpe voices AJ, and Stephanie Hsu voices Kristen in the English-language version.

The French-language cast is different. Silex Films’ production page lists Rio Vega as AJ and Lyna Khoudri as Kristen, alongside Paul Kircher as Eon and Birane Ba as Francisco. Cast lists should therefore specify the language version.

How Does the Adaptation Approach the Memoir?

Nguyen’s film uses a combination of 2D and 3D animation. Her approach also involves a new visual interpretation of Dungo’s story.

In the Netflix interview, she discusses using California’s light and David Hockney’s paintings as references. The changing colors of the ocean and surroundings help express the characters’ emotional experiences. Dungo’s artistic ambitions also become part of the film’s narrative.

For a future book-versus-movie comparison, these are especially useful areas to examine: the treatment of surfing history, the expansion of characters’ lives, and the way moving images reinterpret the memoir’s visual storytelling. A detailed scene comparison should follow a viewing of the completed film.

Should You Read In Waves Before Watching?

Reading the memoir first offers the chance to encounter Dungo’s telling at your own pace. It also gives you a basis for considering how the film reshapes a personal story for a different medium.

Readers interested in illustrated nonfiction, memoirs about grief or stories connecting people with the natural world may find the book particularly relevant. Be aware that cancer and bereavement are central subjects.

As an Amazon Associate, Books of Brilliance earns from qualifying purchases.

Read the source material: Find In Waves by AJ Dungo on Amazon.

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