'The Summer I Turned Pretty star' is set to shake things up in 'Hacks' Season 5 with a brand-new role

Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the comedy-drama is set to welcome a young heartthrob
PUBLISHED OCT 10, 2025
Promotional poster of Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart from 'Hacks' (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @hacks)
Promotional poster of Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart from 'Hacks' (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @hacks)

HBO Max's 'Hacks' is all set to introduce a 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' star in its Season 5 and the excitement is piping hot. The dark comedy drama follows a stand-up comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and a writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), as both team up to create comical magic. The plot of Season 5 will focus on Deborah reclaiming her legacy after a false report mistakenly announced her death. Now, with 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' star set to join the cast, the wait for the show is getting harder than ever.

A still of Christopher Briney from 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' (Cover Image Source: Amazon Prime | The Summer I Turned Pretty)
A still of Christopher Briney from 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' (Image Source: Amazon Prime | The Summer I Turned Pretty)

The star in discussion is Christopher Briney, who is all set to join the cast of 'Hacks' Season 5, currently in production. While his role is undisclosed, a behind-the-scenes photo shows him smiling next to Deborah, with his arm around her waist and tattoos visible. Briney is known for playing Conrad Fisher in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' on Amazon Prime and Aaron Samuels in Paramount's 2024 'Mean Girls' movie musical. Season 4 of Hacks recently concluded, earning Emmy wins for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, as per Variety.

Hacks was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, who also serve as showrunners. Season 5's cast includes Smart, Einbinder, Briney, Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo. Executive producers are Downs and Aniello, Statsky, Michael Schur, and David Miner, along with Morgan Sackett, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Nate Young, and Ashley Glazier. Universal Television is producing the series.

This is Briney's first role since starring in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty,' which recently concluded its record-breaking third season, and he is set to reprise the role in an upcoming follow-up movie, as per Deadline. Notably, Briney is represented by Industry Entertainment, CESD, Peikoff & Mahan, and Vision PR. 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 drew 70 million global viewers in its first 70 days, marking a 65% increase over Season 2. 

The first seven days alone accounted for 25 million viewers, showing strong post-finale engagement. Amazon has not clarified how it measures viewers, as per Deadline. Season 3 saw growing weekly viewership, peaking with the highly anticipated finale in mid-September. While the finale was thought to conclude the series, Jenny Han will co-write and direct a follow-up movie, though plot details and a potential release format remain unknown.

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