Colleen Hoover fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of the movie adaption of her bestselling novel, It Ends With Us. The romance novel was released back in 2016 and quickly amassed success over the years. Thanks to social media and #booktok, the book skyrocketed to the number one spot on the New York Times bestselling list in 2021.
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The story centers around the main character Lily Bloom, who is a recent college grad looking for a fresh start in life. She meets a neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid, and the two start a romance. The story takes a turn when Lily's old flame, Atlas Corrigan, comes back into her life and throws a wrench into her current life plans. The story became such a hit amongst women that Hoover stated in an interview with Publishers Weekly, "It's changed lives. Women have given this to friends who needed it."
Loyal fans of the novel have a lot of thoughts when it comes to the casting of their favorite characters. Mega stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are cast for the leading roles. Hoover said about their casting, " I think that Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have what it takes to bring these characters to life and I cannot wait for you guys to see that happen. ... I'm so excited, y'all..." Just because Hoover was excited to bring these characters to life with the chosen actors didn't mean fans took the news especially well. In fact, there was a #booktok backlash. But Hoover continues to support the casting.
In the book, Lily is only 23 years old, while Ryle is 30. Lively is 36 and a mother of four, while Ryle is 39 years old, which is a far cry from their original characters. When Hoover first wrote the book, she focused on writing college-aged characters for the "new adult genre." However, she realized that, "Neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There's not a 20-something neurosurgeon," she decided to age up the movie characters. She acknowledged her mistake and took full credit for the age discrepancy. It's safe to assume there may be some artistic liberties taken due to the actors' older ages.
Even with Hollywood's current writer's strike, the movie is still on track to debut in 2024. While we wait with bated breath, here's a deep dive into the cast of It Ends With Us.
Blake Lively as Lily Bloom
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When it was announced that Lively would be playing Lily, Hoover shared, "Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. Blake Lively, y'all. She's my dream Lily." Lively is no stranger to taking on iconic roles as beloved book characters. Her breakout role came in 2005 when she played Bridget from the hit novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Lively continued to shine in her role as Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama series, Gossip Girl. She also has a long list of film credits, including her roles in Green Lantern, The Age of Adaline, and The Rhythm Section.
She's even got a directorial credit under her belt. In 2021, she directed the music video for Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me." She was nominated for video of the year at the CMA awards. She's also set to direct the film adaptation of the graphic novel Seconds.
As far as her personal life goes, she has been married to fellow actor Ryan Reynolds since 2012, and they have four children.
Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid
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Baldoni isn't just an actor in the film; his production company is developing the movie. Along with starring, Baldoni is an executive producer and director for the film. As for how Hoover feels about Baldoni taking on the role of Ryle, she shared, "I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character."
Baldoni is most well-known for his role as Rafael Solano on the series Jane the Virgin. His film credits include Con Man, Not Today, and A Fine Step. Just like his co-star Lively, Baldoni has several directing credits to his name. His directing credits include the TV series My Last Days, Five Feet Apart, and Clouds. With his production company, Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni has also produced the TV series My Last Days, The Moon & Back, and Love You Anyway.
Baldoni is also an accomplished writer, releasing his first book, Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity, in 2021 and the follow-up, Boys Will Be Human, in 2022.
Baldoni has been married to his wife Emily Baldoni, since 2013, and they share two children.
Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan
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Fans of Yellowstone's prequel 1923 will be thrilled to see Sklenar on the big screen. Sklenar is known for his portrayal of Spencer Dutton in the series. He's had relatively minor roles since 2011, with his largest break in the 2018 movie Mapplethorpe. He's also appeared in the sci-fi series Westworld as well as Vice. His upcoming role in It Ends With Us will be his biggest starring role yet.
Even though he is taking on the role of an iconic character, Sklenar hadn't even heard of the book. He wrote, "When this project came along I wasn't aware of this book or the tremendous impact it has had on women all over the world in helping them to have the strength to change their lives."
Jenny Slate as Allysa
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Slate will play Ryle's sister, Allysa Kincaid. Slate is a comedian who is well known for her role in the film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. She's also been a voice actress on the TV series Bob's Burgers, Big Mouth, and The Great North.
Hasan Minhaj as Marshall
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Minhaj joined the cast as Allysa's husband. Minhaj is another comedian, known for his work on The Daily Show and The Morning Show. Minhaj has several writing credits under his belt, including Patriot Act and his TV special, Homecoming King.
