Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us is coming to the big screen with Blake Lively (The Age of Adaline) and Justin Baldoni attached as its stars. Hoover will consult on the project, and Baldoni will also direct the movie from a script by Christy Hall.
The movie was initially optioned by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios in 2019. It Ends With Us was an instant hit among readers, residing on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 90 weeks and generating over 2 billion views on TikTok.
Here’s what we know about It Ends With Us.
It Ends With Us release date
It Ends With Us premieres on August 9 after being previously slated for June 21.
It Ends with Us reviews
It Ends with Us is currently sitting on a "rotten" 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jinal Bhatt at The Mary Sue praised the movie, noting that it's "an attractive, tactful, pertinent little film on the subject, one you hope grabs as many eyeballs as the novel did on BookTok and Bookstagram."
Nick Schager at The Daily Beast had issues with the length, among other thing. "Devoid of plausible characterizations, decision-making, and plotting, it’s a dud of epic proportions—literally, as its 130-minute runtime makes it feel like it’ll never end."
"[It Ends With Us] tries to balance the realities of domestic violence inside a rom-com and a female-empowerment movie. All suffer in the process," wrote Mark Kennedy at Associated Press.
Lena Wilson at IGN Movies offered praise: "It Ends with Us is an occasionally schlocky and saccharine novel, but Justin Baldoni’s film adaptation uses an ace script and stellar performances -- particularly that of lead Blake Lively -- to elevate Colleen Hoover’s story to its cinematic peak."
It Ends With Us cast
Blake Lively has appeared in a number of films and shows including Gossip Girl, The Age of Adaline, The Shallows and A Simple Favor. Lively made a big splash in her directorial debut, bringing Taylor Swift’s 2021 music video “I Bet You Think About Me” to life. She earned two ACM Award nominations as well as a Country Music Association nod. Her next turn behind the camera will mark her feature film debut with the adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel Seconds.
Justin Baldoni will play Ryle Kincaid, a brilliant neurosurgeon. Baldoni might be best known for his role as Rafael Solano in Jane the Virgin from 2014 to 2019. He also had guest appearances in Madam Secretary as well as recurring roles in The Bold and the Beautiful, Everwood and Single Ladies.
1923's Brandon Skelnar has been cast as Atlas Corrigan.
Deadline announced that Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) has been cast as Ryle's sister, Alyssa.
In May, Deadline announced that Hasan Minhaj is set to play Marshall. Minhaj is a Peabody Award-winning comedian; his first one-hour Netflix special, The King's Jester, premiered in 2022.
It Ends With Us plot
It Ends With Us is the story of a young woman named Lily who falls for a brilliant neurosurgeon named Ryle. Lily is starting a new life in Boston after graduating college and leaving home to escape the memories of the abuse her father inflicted upon her mother. Though he’s recently deceased, Lily’s mother never told her about the abuse and the secret drove a wedge between them.
Ryle doesn’t want a relationship but eventually, the pair settle into a relationship anyway after they continue to see each other. Things go well between them until Ryle pushes Lily to the ground after she laughs at him. When she reconnects with her childhood love Atlas, Atlas suspects that Ryle is abusing her.
Lily goes on a journey of discovery as she understands more about what her mother went through while also making decisions to end the cycle of abuse once and for all.
It Ends With Us trailer
Take a look at some of the teasers and trailers for It Ends with Us:
A second trailer for the drama is here as well. Check it out below:
It Ends With Us director
It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni will pull double duties, both starring in and directing the film. Baldoni is no stranger to being behind the camera. He directed Clouds and Five Feet Apart. He’s also a Webby-nominated podcaster for his podcast, The Man Enough Podcast, and he is the author of Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity and the New York Times bestseller Boys Will Be Human.
