It Ends With Us is a widely-popular book by author Colleen Hoover that gained popularity in 2021 due to its surge on social media. Since the news came out that the It Ends With Us movie was being produced, readers made it known that their expectations were high.
Since the movie was released, controversies, rumors, and strong opinions have been hovering throughout social media platforms. This buzz has a lot to do with the casting choices and some controversial on-set decisions.
Many fans were surprised and even disappointed to see Blake Lively take on the role of Lily Bloom, the main character of It Ends With Us. Many fans viewed Lively as unfit for the young adult role, since Lively is in her mid thirties. Fans were also astonished by the wardrobe choices for Lily Bloom’s role, questioning whether the outfits reflected Lily’s character and if they were fashionable.
Justin Baldoni, who directed the movie, took on the role of Ryle Kincaid. Some fans were tentative about this casting decision. Baldoni is known for playing Rafael in Jane The Virgin, which led fans to think that Baldoni did not quite fit the description of Ryle. Despite the mixed feelings about these two castings, fans were especially disappointed with Brandon Sklenar’s role as Atlas Corrigan. According to some fans, he does not match the description of Atlas whatsoever, which is very, very true.
Yes, there were disappointing casting and questionable costume choices, but the controversies did not stop there. Fans have been dubious about the relationships between cast members since Baldoni did not appear during group interviews and for the duration of the press tour. Some fans believe that Baldoni and Lively might have butted heads while filming, leading to friction. During an interview with Elle UK, Justin Baldoni stated, “There is always friction that happens when you make a movie like this.” This did not help with fans’ suspicions especially after Baldoni hired a PR crisis team soon after the drama erupted. There were allegations that Baldoni made inquiries regarding Lively’s weight and that he supposedly lingered for quite a while during a kiss while filming. Many think that this could be the reason for the cast members’ distance toward each other.
Despite all the controversies and criticisms regarding It Ends With Us, many fans truly enjoyed the film; it is always exciting experiencing a novel come to life. It portrayed the sensitive topic of domestic abuse in a way that inspired many fans, including the ones that had experienced domestic abuse first hand. In the end, It Ends With Us attracted the attention it deserved.
