It Ends With Us - What We Know So Far

There are few stories in the literary world in recent memory as stunning as that of the meteoric rise of Colleen Hoover. Following humble beginnings as a self-publisher, the Texan novelist has quickly climbed through the echelons of the publishing world to become not one of, but the best-selling fiction author in the United States (via The New York Times). Her command over the young, avid readers that coalesce and convene on social media under community monikers like #BookTok and #BookTwitter is virtually unparalleled; there's an argument to be made that no one else has their finger on the pulse of how and why the public consumes literature in 2023 the way Hoover does.

At this point, Hoover already has multiple highly successful novels to her name, including "Slammed," "Hopeless," "Ugly Love," "November 9," and "Verity" — all of which have made the New York Times Best Seller list. But her magnum opus — so far, anyway — is undoubtedly 2016's "It Ends with Us." An honest, unflinching, courageous depiction of domestic abuse and its grueling everyday realities, the novel was rediscovered by TikTok users in 2021 and went on to become an enormous commercial sensation worldwide (via Associated Press), standing tall as the work that most aptly demonstrated the full breadth of Hoover's capabilities as a writer. It was only a matter of time until an audiovisual adaptation got made. And, sure enough, we're officially getting an "It Ends with Us" film soon — and we already know its stars and director.

There is no release date yet for the film adaptation of "It Ends with Us." But, at the rate the project is going, we can probably expect to see the film in the next couple of years.

The road to the film version of "It Ends with Us" actually began even earlier than its runaway BookTok success story. Back in 2019, when "It Ends with Us" was "only" a normal bestseller with a mere 1 million copies sold worldwide, actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni optioned it for a film adaptation to be developed through his own production company, Wayfarer Entertainment (via Variety). Baldoni eventually took to TikTok — where else? — in October 2021 to announce that the first draft of the film's screenplay had been completed (via Colleen Hoover on Facebook).

Now, Deadline is reporting that the project is moving into the casting stage of development, with stars already attached to the main roles of Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. Wayfarer is overseeing the project alongside Sony Pictures, and Justin Baldoni himself is set to direct. In further news, it appears that the film's screenwriter will be Christy Hall, best known as the co-creator of the Sophia Lillis-starring Netflix series "I Am Not Okay with This." With principal casting already underway, it shouldn't be too long until cameras officially start rolling on "It Ends with Us," and it would seem to be quite reasonable to expect the film to come out at some point in 2024.

With every literary adaptation — especially of novels as beloved and important to so many as "It Ends with Us" — a question lingers until the very moment the film is unveiled to the public: Just how faithful is it going to be? In the case of "It Ends with Us," there's reason to hope that the film will be respectful to the novel and to the elements that made it special; after all, per Deadline, Hoover herself will be on hand as a consultant.

For those not in the know, the plot of "It Ends with Us" concerns Lily Bloom, a young woman who moves to Boston after graduating college and opens her own floral shop. While getting acclimated to the new city, she reflects upon the abuse her mother endured at the hands of her father, and looks back on her estranged first love, childhood friend Atlas Corrigan. Not long after, she meets Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon with whom she hits it off and eventually begins a relationship. Over time, however, Ryle reveals himself to be a controlling, physically violent partner. The novel then follows Lily as she experiences the successive stages of an abusive relationship, while developing a keener understanding of what things must have been like for her own mother. The film adaptation will most likely follow a similar narrative path to the novel, and hew close to the tough themes that made it such a vital, transformative read.

In addition to directing "It Ends with Us," Justin Baldoni is also starring in it as Ryle Kincaid. Baldoni began his career in the mid-2000s with appearances on multiple popular network TV series and soap operas. He eventually became well-known for his performance as conflicted playboy and hotel owner Rafael Solano on The CW's "Jane the Virgin," which featured him as a series regular throughout all five seasons. Following the show's conclusion, he stepped away from acting and began to work steadily as a film director, helming the hit 2019 romantic drama "Five Feet Apart," and the 2020 Disney+ musical biopic "Clouds." "It Ends with Us" will be Baldoni's third film as a director, and will also mark his return to acting.

The main role of Lily Bloom, meanwhile, will be brought to life by an actress who needs no introduction: Blake Lively. The film will add another step to Lively's sterling post-"Gossip Girl" career as a film actress, which has included such critical and commercial successes as "A Simple Favor," "The Shallows," and "The Age of Adaline." In recent years, Lively has also ventured into filmmaking, helming the music video for Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me" and signing on to direct a feature film adaptation of the Bryan Lee O'Malley graphic novel "Seconds" (via Variety).

As of now, there's no word on who will be playing Atlas Corrigan, but it shouldn't be long until a name emerges.