Everything to Know About Blake Lively's Upcoming Movie It Ends with Us

Blake Lively is coming back to the big screen!

The Gossip Girl alumna will be starring in the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us along with actor Justin Baldoni.

Based on the 2016 novel of the same name, the film will follow Lily, a woman who moves to a new city following college graduation and meets and falls in love with a man named Ryle. Her newfound bliss isn't long lived, however, as a blast from the past comes back in the form of her ex-lover who turns her world upside down.

And it seems like Lively is more than ready to take on the role. Following the casting announcement, the actress debuted a new hair color on Instagram — trading in her signature blonde locks for a darker shade.

From plot points to casting details, here's everything to know about It Ends with Us.

What is It Ends with Us about?

According to Deadline, It Ends with Us tells the story of Lily, a fresh college graduate who has moved to a new city and meets and falls in love with a man named Ryle.

Though Ryle has a "complete aversion to relationships," Lily becomes the exception to the neurosurgeon's "no dating rule," a description of the book explains. As the two continue to get closer, Lily's first love comes back into her life and throws a wrench in the new life she's creating.

It Ends with Us has been published in 43 languages and was the top-selling print book in 2022, cementing its spot on The New York Times Best Seller List for more than 90 weeks, Deadline said.

Who is in the cast of It Ends with Us?

Hoover made the cast announcements via Instagram on Jan. 26. The author got emotional while standing outside her childhood home and thanked her mother, whom she says the book was "loosely inspired by," adding that her mom "got us out of a scary situation when I was little and brought us here to this house."

She then revealed, "Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. Blake Lively, y'all. She's my dream Lily."

Hoover also revealed that Baldoni would be playing Ryle, telling fans, "I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character. The good news is he's gonna be Ryle. So we have our Ryle and our Lily."

She also expressed her gratitude saying, "The little girl who used to sleep in that bedroom thanks you for all the support."

On April 20, it was confirmed that 1923's Brandon Sklenar had signed on to play Atlas — Lily's old flame — in the screen adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Days later, Deadline reported that Jenny Slate had joined the cast as Allysa — Ryle's sister and another crucial character in the book.

In the months that followed casting, Hoover faced backlash because Lively, 36, and Baldoni, 39, are significantly older than their It Ends with Us characters. In June 2023, Hoover explained why she went with more mature actors, noting that making the literary characters younger was a mistake. “I didn't know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years," she said. "There's not a 20-something neurosurgeon.”

“As I started making this movie, I'm like, ‘We need to age them out because I messed up,’ ” she added. "So that's my fault."

In January 2024, Deadline reported that the team had cast Lively and Baldoni's younger counterparts with the addition of Isabela Ferrer as young Lily and Alex Neustaedter as young Atlas.

Who will be directing It Ends with Us?

In addition to the news that Baldoni would be leading the cast with Lively, Hoover revealed the Jane the Virgin alumnus will also be directing the project and Lively will executive produce.

Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios optioned the book back in 2019, and have been working with Hoover on it since, reports Deadline.

Who is It Ends with Us Author, Colleen Hoover?

Colleen Hoover is a New York Times bestselling author who's penned more than 20 novels and novellas. She has garnered more than 2 billion views on "BookTok," sold more than 20 million books and is currently the best-selling novelist in the United States, according to Deadline.

It Ends with Us won Hoover the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance — an award she also won in 2015 for Confess and 2017 for Without Merit, per her website.

Confess was also adapted into a seven-episode series in 2017 and is available on Prime Video and Apple TV. The screen adaptation stars Katie Leclerc and Ryan Cooper.

When did It Ends with Us start filming?

In May 2023, Lively was spotted filming alongside Baldoni in Jersey City. The actress was seen donning a tan halter dress and fuchsia coat as well as bright red hair for the role.

However, production shut down a month later due to the ongoing writers' strike, though filming picked back up in early 2024.

When will It Ends with Us be released?

PEOPLE confirmed in April 2024 that the movie has been pushed back seven weeks from its June 21 release date and will now be in theaters on Aug. 9, 2024.

Originally, It Ends With Us was scheduled for a Feb. 9 release before it was pushed back to the summer, making this the second time that the date has changed.