The long-awaited film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us has been surrounded by controversy since its release.
Lead actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been the target of a publicity storm after rumors of an ongoing “feud” between them surfaced due to their lack of press appearances together.
Blake, 36, has also been hit by claims that she promoted the film insensitivelybased on Hoover’s novel about an abusive relationship, as she often fails to address the serious themes in the film.
It Ends With Us has already grossed over $180 million worldwide. That’s a huge profit for a film that cost just $25 million to make. Normally, that would lead to a ready-made sequel.
But amid all the controversial publicity, fears are growing over whether the sequel to the popular novel, It Starts With Us, will go ahead as planned.
Justin’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, is believed to have the rights to the sequel, after acquiring the film rights to It Starts With Us in 2019.
It Starts With Us picks up after the ending of the first book and focuses on the relationship between Lily Bloom (Blake) and Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), though Justin’s character Ryle Kincaid also still appears.
However, sources told the Daily Mail that plans to release the hit sequel to the film are uncertain as a result and that the project has yet to be officially confirmed.
The long-awaited film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us has been surrounded by controversy since its release (Photo: Blake Lively)
“It’s hard to imagine Justin wanting to work with Blake – or vice versa – after all this bad blood. Whatever started this feud, there is certainly no clear rapprochement between the two,” an industry insider said.
An insider also warned The Wrap that “no further discussions have been had regarding the sequel at this time,” which only increases fans’ concerns about the sequel.
Blake was a producer on It Ends With Us and Justin directed and produced the film. However, he has indicated that he may not return in either role if a sequel is made, amid claims of a “creative battle” between him and his co-star.
When asked if he would like to direct again, he recently said: Entertainment tonight: ‘You’ll have to ask me later. We’re going on vacation after this.
“I think there are better people for that movie. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. I think so.”
There are fears over whether both stars will return for It Starts With Us amid rumours of an ongoing feud between Justin and Blake and tensions behind the scenes.
A source recently told DailyMail.com that Blake and Justin got into a fight over his alleged “dismissive” attitude towards her “input” during the filming of scenes involving abuse.
The insider claimed that Justin only focused on “what he saw as the violent male point of view” and that he had a very “chauvinistic” approach to the subject.
A few days later, TMZ reported that Blake felt “shamed” by Justin on set while they were preparing for a scene in which he lifts her off the ground.
Insiders told the website that Justin has been suffering from back problems and that he sought help from a trainer prior to the scene where he lifts the weights.
Leading stars Blake and Justin Baldoni (pictured) have become the center of a publicity storm after rumors of an ongoing ‘feud’ between them surfaced when they failed to get together to speak to the press
He reportedly asked the trainer how much Blake weighed and for help preparing his back to avoid injury.
However, it was claimed that Justin felt “hurt and left out” while starring and directing in It Ends with Us.
“There were two camps on the film — team Blake and team Justin. This creative struggle set the tone for the negative experience behind the scenes and led to them not speaking to each other anymore,” a source told us. We weekly.
The insider continued: “[Justin] felt like his vision was less important than Blake’s, and it hindered creativity on set.’
Justin also reportedly took it personally that Blake made various decisions about scripts and wardrobe changes, “often without consulting” him or his team.
However, a second source insisted that “any changes or input from Blake were intended to create the best possible film and [to] ‘honor the book’.
“Blake was a producer and worked closely with Colleen and other female team members on set. Without [Justin’s] input does not mean [she went] “behind his back,” the insider explained.
Blake has also been criticized for her lighthearted promotion of the film, despite its serious themes. Activists have also criticized the film, claiming it “romanticizes and glorifies” domestic violence.
She recently came under fire from fans for the way she responded to an interview question about the film’s serious themes.
When a reporter asked the Gossip Girl star how people who could identify with her character could talk to her, her sarcastic response left people in a frenzy.
Rather than encouraging victims of domestic violence to seek help from professionals or share available resources with them, she laughed at the idea of making herself available to them.
Amid the whirlwind of negative publicity, concerns are now being raised over whether the sequel to the popular novel, It Starts With Us, will go ahead as planned
“People who see this film and identify with the subjects in the film on a very personal level want to talk to you,” the interviewer said.
‘This film is going to touch people and they will want to tell you about their lives.
“So if someone understands the themes of this film and sees you in public and really wants to talk to you, what’s the best way to talk to you about this? How would you recommend they do that?”
Blake did not seem to respond to the idea that people would approach her and discuss the film’s harrowing themes.
She replied sarcastically, “Just ask for my address or my phone number.”
“Or I can just share my location with you and then we can…,” she said shortly before bursting into laughter, which was dismissed as “toneless.”
Blake also received criticism after she gave an interview with her It Ends With Us co-stars Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer and author Colleen, but failed to discuss the topic.
The four women talked about everything from their dream jobs to their star signs, but domestic violence was not mentioned.
A few hours later, Blake took to Instagram to share information about domestic violence and provide some resources for her followers.
She shared a number of links, including a hotline for victims of domestic violence, as well as statistics and other information.
“Everyone deserves relationships free of domestic violence,” she wrote.
While Blake served as producer, Justin directed and executive produced, but he indicated he may not take on as many roles if a sequel happens, amid claims of a “creative struggle” on set.
Following the criticism, Justin was praised online after addressing the film’s serious themes directly with fans during a screening at a Los Angeles theater.
The actor poignantly reminded viewers to be aware of how the story in It Ends With Us could impact others.
“This film is about love, about hope, about romance. But it’s also about something very serious: domestic violence,” he told the audience.
“So I’m just saying it’s widespread, it’s everywhere. There’s a good chance that a few people in this room have been affected by it.
“If at the end of the film you see someone sitting alone, shaking or emotional, consider going to them and asking if you can support them in some way.”
Justin added that even those who couldn’t identify with what the characters were going through should still take the time to think about the themes.
I ask everyone who watches this film to maybe think for a moment at the end and [ask yourself]“What is the cycle you can break in your life?” he concluded.
A clip of his speech was uploaded to TikTok and quickly went viral. Within hours, the video had been viewed over 961,000 times. Many people responded en masse to the comments, praising Justin for his words.