Everything We Know About the “It Ends With Us” Movie Adaptation (2024)

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are joining forces on the big screen for the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends with Us.

Like the 2016 book, the movie will follow Lily Bloom (Lively) after she moves to Boston to open a flower shop. While reckoning with the emotional ramifications of the death of her father, who abused her mother, Lily meets Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and falls in love. But their fiery romance quickly turns into something dangerously familiar to Lily—and things get further complicated when her old flame Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar) comes back into the picture.

“Stepping into a character who’s had such a meaningful impact is an honor to take on,” Lively told People in April. “I loved Lily, and I hope that love is felt by those who care about her like I do, and also those who are getting to know her for the first time in this film.”

Below, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the movie.

What is It Ends With Us about?

The official synopsis from Sony Pictures reads:

It Ends With Us, the first Colleen Hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the compelling story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chase a lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

When will the movie be released?

Despite an initial release date set for February 9, 2024, the actors’ and writers’ strikes that took Hollywood by storm last year pushed the movie’s opening to August 9 instead.

Who’s in it?

Blake Lively has been cast in the lead role of Lily Bloom, with Justin Baldoni (Jane the Virgin) and Brandon Sklenar (Vice) as main love interests Ryle Kincaid and Atlas Corrigan, respectively. Other cast members include Jenny Slate as Ryle’s sister Allysa and Hasan Minhaj as Marshall.

Can I watch the trailer?

Yes! The first full-length trailer officially dropped on May 16. With Taylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet” playing in the background, the trailer sets the scene for Lily’s story, featuring snippets from the film that show Ryle’s abrupt outbursts and tender scenes between Lily and Atlas.

Why was there controversy around the book?

Given that one of the major themes of It Ends With Us is domestic abuse, fans were displeased when it was announced in January 2023 that a coloring book based on the novel would be released. Some worried that adapting the novel into a coloring book would diminish the gravity of such consequential themes.

Hoover addressed the criticism in an Instagram Story that same month. “The coloring book was developed with Lily’s strength in mind, but I can absolutely see how this was tone-deaf,” she wrote at the time, per Today. “I hear you guys and I agree with you. No excuses. No finger pointing. I have contacted the publisher to let them know I would prefer we don’t move forward with it. Thank you for the respectful discourse and accountability. Nothing but love.”

Some people also had concerns about the story being marketed as a romance, believing that could warp a younger audience’s perception of romantic relationships.