‘It Ends With Us’ Franchise Might End With Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Feud

As a dedicated fan who has followed this captivating saga from its humble beginnings as a best-selling novel to the box office smash hit it is today, I must say I am intrigued by the behind-the-scenes drama unfolding between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The success of “It Ends With Us” has been nothing short of phenomenal, and the anticipation for a sequel has reached fever pitch. However, the reported rift between Lively and Baldoni has cast a shadow over the potential continuation of this beloved story.

In typical scenarios, a follow-up to the female-centric drama “It Ends With Us” would seem inevitable due to its success. The Sony Pictures film, which cost $25 million to produce, has grossed over $180 million worldwide since its release on August 9th. Author Colleen Hoover has also published a top-selling sequel, the 2022 novel “It Starts With Us.” However, the publicized disagreement between lead producer Blake Lively and director-star Justin Baldoni has left many questioning whether a sequel is feasible, especially if both of them are involved.

In the sequel of the book, we have Lily, the vivacious florist who owns Lively’s flower shop, and Ryle, a neurosurgeon known for his abusive behavior, both making appearances. Interestingly, Baldoni, who is now the head of Wayfarer Studios – a production company he co-founded with billionaire Steve Sarowitz and runs alongside Jamey Heath – has been working on this project from scratch after purchasing the rights to It Ends With Us five years ago.

Reports indicate that Wayfarer holds the rights for the follow-up titled “It Starts With Us“, potentially bringing Rachel Bilson and Brett Baldwin back together, regardless of whether Baldwin continues as director or his character is replaced by another actor. Sony had a hand in distributing “It Ends With Us“, and industry insiders suggest that the studio would also have the authority to distribute the sequel’s release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Following the film’s premiere, internet users unearthed awkward, humorous interview moments involving Lively and criticized her for endorsing her new hair-care brand during discussions about the movie’s serious topic of domestic violence. Meanwhile, Baldoni has faced accusations of creating an uncomfortable work environment that strained his relationship with Lively and the cast. A source claims this tension goes as far back as a year, with Lively expressing reluctance to resume filming after production was halted due to the 2023 writers and actors strike. They filmed their intimate scenes post-strike resumption. After completing principal photography, the movie went through a week of reshoots, and different versions of the film were produced, including one favored by Lively, which is the version currently playing in theaters, according to sources. Baldoni has stated there are no definite plans for a sequel, but he did mention on the press tour that he felt Lively was prepared to direct it.

The drama surrounding the movie hasn’t seemed to affect its performance. It dropped by approximately 52% during its second week, but there were many repeat viewers indicating that fans aren’t deterred by negative news headlines. Sony Studios, on the other hand, has shown support for Lively, with their CEO publicly acknowledging her, Hoover, and the female crew members who worked on the film. Interestingly, Baldoni was not mentioned in this praise, and Vinciquerra stated that they are eager to collaborate with Lively on 12 more films in the future.

Whether one of those 12 movies will be It Starts With Us remains to be seen.

Pamela McClintock and Borys Kit contributed to this report.

I stumbled upon an intriguing tale in the latest edition (August 21) of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, and it left me craving more! If you’re not already a subscriber, click here to join the fun and stay updated on all things entertainment.

2024-08-21 17:54

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