Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s movie “It Ends With Us” is based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel by the same name, which the author has said is based on her mother’s marriage.
The movie is the first cinematic adaptation of any of Hoover’s books.
Baldoni optioned the movie through his company Wayfarer Studios in 2019, but he told TheWrap that he always knew he wouldn’t be able to make the film alone. “No matter how much research, or how many women I talk to, or how much I try to empathize or even get into the mind and heart of my wife, I’ll never be able to understand what that experience is like. I knew that going in,” he explained.
Here’s how to watch “It Ends With Us” on the big screen.
When did “It Ends With Us” come out?
“It Ends With Us” premiered Friday, Aug. 9.
Is “It Ends With Us” in theaters or streaming?
“It Ends With Us” was released exclusively in theaters, so the only way to see it right now is to buy a movie ticket. But it’s likely that after its theatrical run, the Sony film will make its way to Netflix, per Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment’s multiyear, exclusive licensing deal in the U.S. Look for it to hit the streamer sometime in December, but we’ll update this article with an official streaming release date once it’s revealed.
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Who is in the “It Ends With Us” cast?
The case includes Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, Kevin McKidd, Amy Morton, Alex Neustaedter, Isabella Ferrer, Robert Clohessy, Robin S. Walker, Emily Baldoni, Adam Mondschein, Caroline Siegrist, Robyn Lively, Megan Robinson, Steve Monroe and Daphne Zelle.
Is “It Ends With Us” based on a book?
The film is based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel by the same name. The book was wildly popular and debuted at #1 on Amazon the day it was published.
What is “It Ends With Us” about?
Both the film and book follow the story of Lily Bloom, who enters into a relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. Over time it becomes clear that Kincaid is mentally, emotionally, sexually and physically abusive and violent.
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The pair get married and Lily becomes pregnant with their daughter, Emmy. Her pregnancy spurs Lily to insist that their relationship change, and the book ends with Lily telling Ryle, “It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us” after she’s given birth. Ultimately, Lily decides to leave her husband.
What’s the controversy around “It Ends With Us”?
The book has generated its own controversy over the years because it is classed as a “romance” instead of simply “fiction,” but that paled in comparison to the drama that erupted with the film’s release.
On the milder end of the spectrum, some fans were disgruntled because Lively and Baldoni — 36 and 39, respectively — are significantly older than their literary counterparts. Hoover admitted that casting older actors was her idea, because at the time of writing she didn’t realize how long neurosurgeons go to school.
But the true firestorm of controversy began after fans noticed Lively and Baldoni were not photographed together throughout the press tour leading up to the film’s premiere, nor was Baldoni joined by any other members of the cast.
Soon, reports of “creative differences” between the pair emerged, and fans began to criticize the disparate ways each actor promoted the movie. While Baldoni openly discussed the film’s themes of sexual violence and physical abuse, Lively appeared to tie the movie to her own brands and encouraged women to wear floral patterns to the theater.
Numerous fans found Lively’s approach upsetting and dismissive of the issues at the film’s core. Baldoni has said that, if there’s a sequel, Lively should direct it herself.
