Sorry, Noah (Ryan Gosling) from The Notebook — we can think of one carnival activity even more romantic than a Ferris wheel ride: a stop at The Kissing Booth. Just ask the romantic comedy trilogy’s heroine, Elle Evans (Joey King). Her life is forever changed after one very awkward-turned-romantic kissing booth encounter with Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), the local bad boy… and older brother of Elle’s very best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney). Heart-eyes and hurt feels are impossible to avoid as Elle and Noah figure out their relationship. 

The first The Kissing Booth movie was released in 2018, with The Kissing Booth 2 following in 2020 and The Kissing Booth 3 wrapping up the smooch-worthy saga in 2021. Keep reading to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about King’s trilogy.

Who is Joey King? 

Joey King portrays Elle Evans, the protagonist of the Kissing Booth movies. She is also the executive producer of The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3. King had a long career prior to The Kissing Booth, appearing in everything from a Season 1 episode of New Girl as fierce tween Brianna to Taylor Swift’s 2011 “Mean” music video; she would later reteam with Swift for 2023’s “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)” music video. 

King broke out in 2013 with roles in White House Down — where she played Emily, the daughter of Channing Tatum’s action hero Cale — and the horror flick The Conjuring. Her performance as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in 2019’s The Act earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. You can also watch King make bloody mischief in Bullet Train. She is slated to appear in an upcoming rom-com alongside Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. 

What is The Kissing Booth about? 

Elle has never been kissed. But when she decides to run a kissing booth at her high school’s spring carnival, she unexpectedly finds herself locking lips with her secret crush — the ultimate bad boy, Noah. 

Sparks fly, but there’s one little problem: Noah just happens to be the older brother of Elle’s best friend, Lee. Noah is absolutely off limits according to the rules of Elle and Lee’s friendship pact. Elle’s life is turned upside down when she realizes that she must ultimately make a choice: Follow the rules or follow her heart. 

What is The Kissing Booth 2 about? 

Elle just enjoyed the most romantic summer of her life with her reformed bad-boy boyfriend Noah. But now Noah is jetting off to Harvard, and Elle must head back to high school for her senior year. She’ll have to juggle a long-distance relationship, getting into her dream college with Lee, and the complications brought on by a close friendship with a handsome, charismatic new classmate named Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez). 

When Noah grows close to a seemingly-perfect college girl named Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Elle will have to decide how much she trusts him and to whom her heart truly belongs. 

What is The Kissing Booth 3 about? 

It’s the summer before Elle heads to college, and she’s facing the hardest decision of her life: whether to move across the country with her dreamy boyfriend Noah or fulfill her lifelong promise to go to college with her BFF Lee. 

Whose heart will Elle break? An unearthed ultimate beach bucket list helps Elle answer that difficult question. 

Who else is in The Kissing Booth series? 

Riverdale mom Molly Ringwald co-stars as Noah and Lee’s mother, Mrs. Flynn; Justice Served’s Morné Visser plays her husband, Mr. Flynn. Meganne Young appears as Rachel, Lee’s girlfriend. And you can spot Red White and Royal Blue heartthrob Taylor Zakhar Perez flex his rom-com leading man chops as Marco, the talented guy who just might catch Elle’s eye. 

What are The Kissing Booth movies based on? 

All three of The Kissing Booth movies are inspired by characters from Beth Reekles’ 2012 young adult novel The Kissing Booth. There are three Kissing Booth books, along with two novellas, The Beach House and Road Trip!

Fall in love with all your Kissing Booth faves by watching (or rewatching) the trilogy right now. 

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