Major news! Colleen Hoover fans got the surprise of a lifetime in January 2023 when the beloved author announced that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni would be playing main characters Lily and Ryle in the forthcoming It Ends With Us movie.
“Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. Blake Lively, y’all! She’s my dream Lily,” Colleen shared in an Instagram video amid the announcement. “Then, when I first met Justin Baldoni — who is directing the film for It Ends With Us — I immediately wanted him to be Ryle. I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character. The good news is he’s going to be Ryle. So we have our Ryle and our Lily.”
Keep reading for more details including plot, release date and more.
What Is ‘It Ends With Us’ About?
“The story follows a girl named Lily who has just moved and is ready to start her life after college. Lily then meets a guy named Ryle and she falls for him,” the plot summary reads, per Deadline. “As she is developing feelings for Ryle, Atlas, her first love, reappears and challenges the relationship between Lily and Ryle.”
Die-hard fans of the book know that the story is “loosely inspired” by author Colleen’s mom.
“I just want everyone to know how appreciative I am to my mother, who got us out of a scary situation when I was a little girl and brought us here to this house which doesn’t look like much, but this house was full of love and joy,” the “Hopeless” writer told fans in her Instagram video, showing off her childhood home. “Thank you, mom, for making that very difficult decision. This house holds nothing but wonderful memories for me.”
She concluded, “It’s just, it’s bittersweet. So many people have had to go through that. But to know that my mom’s decision has helped so many people get out of that … I love you, mom.”
Who Is Starring in ‘It Ends With Us’?
Other than Blake and Justin, no casting announcements have been made just yet.
However, the Gossip Girl alum showed off her new red hair for the role in an Instagram Stories post with The Smashing Pumpkins song “Lily” playing in the background.
Justin, for his part has shared tons of behind-the-scenes photos on social media. One video from April 2023, showed the director seemingly getting into character by chopping off his long hair into a more sleek look.
When Will ‘It Ends With Us’ Premiere?
No premiere date has been announced just yet.
