'It Ends With Us': Everything to Know About Blake Lively's New Movie

#BookTok fans rejoiced when news broke that Colleen Hoover's novel, It Ends With Us, would be made into a movie, and ever since, the internet has been buzzing with excitement. With each new headline that comes from the set, from Blake Lively being cast to her kooky outfits and polarizing dark hair color, fans can't hold back their opinions — and they only seem to be getting louder as the movie's release date inches closer. 

According to BuzzFeed, It Ends With Us was on the bestseller list for 90 weeks, so plenty of people are excited to see whether or not the film is loyal to its source material. Of course, that means there are just as many chances for readers to be upset about all the creative decisions that the film makes, too.

Here's everything to know about the movie, from when you need to mark your calendar to who's playing who — and wearing what — in one of the most anticipated films of 2024.

What Is It Ends With Us About?

If the movie follows the novel — and for now, it's safe to assume that it does — the plot should follow Lily Bloom, who falls for a neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid. The two get married, but things start to shift between the two when Bloom's high school love, Atlas Corrigan, enters the picture. 

"Though coming from a complicated past, Lily Bloom has always known the life she wants," the film's official synopsis reads. "While living in Boston, she meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid and believes she may very well have found her soul mate. Soon, however, questions arise about their relationship, and to complicate matters, her high school love interest, Atlas Corrigan, comes back into the picture, putting her relationship with Ryle in jeopardy."

Who Is In It Ends With Us?

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star as the film's leads, Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. Fans will remember Baldoni from the CW's Jane the Virgin. He's not only acting in It Ends With Us, he's directing the film, as well. 

“Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. Blake Lively, y’all. She’s my dream Lily,” Hoover wrote on Instagram in 2023 after Deadline broke the news of Lively's casting. “When I first met Justin Baldoni, who is directing the film for It Ends With Us, I immediately wanted him to be Ryle.”

Other members of the cast include Brandon Sklenar, who plays Atlas Corrigan, Jenny Slate, and Hasan Minhaj.

When Will It Ends With Us Be Released?

Before the SAG-AFRA and Writers Guild Strikes in 2023, It Ends With Us was set to be released on Feb. 9, 2024. After production resumed, the film was pushed and is was scheduled to arrive in theaters on Jun. 21, 2024. However, in April, People reported that the film's release date got pushed again, this time to Aug. 9, 2024.

Is There a Trailer for It Ends With Us?

No official footage from the movie has been released just yet. However, Hoover told fans that she was happy with what she'd seen from production so far.

“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,” she said in an Instagram post in January 2023. “I’m going to do my best to sneak y’all as much footage as I can without getting kicked off the set. I’m so excited, y’all.”

Why were fans upset that Blake Lively was cast in It End With Us?

As soon as Lively's casting made headlines, people were upset about it. On X, users pointed out that she's 36 years old, which is "too old" for the role. In the source material, Lily is 23 years old. Additionally, Ryle is 30 in Hoover's novel, and Baldoni is 39.

Hoover addressed the age differences back in June 2023: “Back when I wrote It Ends With Us, the new adult [genre] was very popular,” she said at a book event, according to Today. “You were writing college-age characters. That’s what I was contracted to do.”

She took the blame for the mistakes she made and insisted that the movie was more in line with real life. "I didn’t know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There’s not a 20-something neurosurgeon," she added. "As I started making this movie, I’m like, ‘We need to age them out because I messed up.’ So, that’s my fault.”

Did Blake Lively Dye Her Hair for It Ends With Us?

After she was cast, Lively shared an Instagram Story that showed off a new darker hair color. In subsequent photos from filming, her hair appears to be more red than brunette. Either way, it's a change from the usual sunkissed blonde that fans are used to seeing from the Gossip Girl star.

What's Going on With Blake Lively's Clothes in It Ends With Us?

Lively's looks from leaked production photos have been polarizing, to say the least. The film's depiction of Lily has her wearing clashing patterns, double-waistband pants, and crop tops paired with sherpa-lined jackets.

“Every photo that’s released just keeps getting worse and worse,” a commenter posted under a TikTok video in May 2023. Another added, “This feels like a prank now.”

"Every single outfit that I've seen for this character has just been so ridiculous and awful that it has made people genuinely worried about this movie, me included," another TikTok user said in a video montage of Lively's costumes. With the book's popularity on TikTok being paramount to its success, the costuming has fans worried.

Hoover defended the looks, saying, “You’ve seen a couple of outfits that are completely out of context. I’m not worried about it.”

Will There Be a Sequel to It Ends With Us?

Hoover's novel does have a sequel, It Starts With Us, which was also on the top of the bestsellers list when it was released in 2022 (and also became a #BookTok sensation). There's no word yet on whether or not that book will also be adapted.