Top line
The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us is a box office hit – despite reports and rumors that actor-producer Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni had a falling out on set. Baldoni has hinted that a film adaptation of the novel’s sequel is possible, but he may not stay on as director.
“It Ends With Us” actor and director Justin Baldoni suggested Blake Lively could direct a sequel. (Photo … (+)
Key data
Hoover released a sequel to the romantic drama novel It Starts With Us in 2022, and The Hollywood Reporter cited unnamed sources as saying Wayfarer Studios, co-founded by Baldoni, owns the rights to the sequel, while Sony Pictures retains distribution rights.
The Wrap also reported, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the project, that Wayfarer and Sony own the production and distribution rights, respectively. However, sources told The Wrap there have been “no further discussions” regarding a sequel.
Baldoni had previously told Variety that “we have the option” for the sequel, but said he had not thought about it yet and was focused on “It Ends With Us.”
It’s unclear whether Baldoni will return as both an actor and director for a sequel: He previously told Entertainment Tonight that he thought there were “better people” to direct a sequel and hinted that Lively, who produced “It Ends With Us,” could take on the helm.
What’s the drama of It Ends With Us?
Unnamed sources told The Hollywood Reporter there was a “rift” among the It Ends With Us filmmakers during post-production, resulting in two different cuts of the film being produced, including one commissioned by Lively. Fans also noted that Lively and Baldoni did not appear together on the press tour and that much of the cast has avoided talking about Baldoni in interviews. Social media sleuths also noted that Baldoni follows much of the cast and crew on Instagram, including Lively and Hoover, but they do not follow him back. Speculation increased after Baldoni reportedly hired a crisis PR manager, Melissa Nathan, who previously represented Johnny Depp during his trial against Amber Heard. Without directly addressing Lively or rumors of a feud, Baldoni told Elle there is “always friction when you make a film like this,” but that friction “makes the beautiful art.” On Tuesday, actor Brandon Sklenar appeared to address the drama’s allegations on Instagram without mentioning Baldoni or Lively by name. He explained, “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from our intentions in making this film.” In his post, he also claimed that everyone involved in the film was aware of the domestic violence issue, after Lively faced criticism from some fans who felt she ignored discussing the film’s serious themes during the press tour.
Large number
182 million dollars. That’s how much “It Ends With Us” has grossed worldwide so far, according to Box Office Mojo. The film exceeded all expectations on its opening weekend, grossing 50 million dollars and coming in second, just behind “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in which Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds plays the lead role.
tangent
Released to popular demand, It Starts With Us became publisher Simon & Schuster’s most pre-ordered book of all time. Including pre-orders and initial sales, the book sold 800,000 copies upon release. It Starts With Us was the third-best-selling print book of 2022 with nearly 1.9 million copies sold—despite an October release—behind only It Ends With Us and another Hoover book, Verity. The sequel was the second-best-selling book of 2023 with more than 1.2 million copies sold, again behind It Ends With Us. Hoover’s popularity skyrocketed in 2021, largely thanks to the “BookTok” communities on TikTok.
More information
“It Ends With Us” actor Brandon Sklenar talks about alleged cast drama – why fans think Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are at loggerheads (Forbes)
Blake Lively’s “It Ends With Us” tops the box office this week, ahead of husband Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Forbes)
