With the It Ends With Us film debacle still unresolved, a possible film sequel is on the horizon for Colleen Hoover fans. Justin Baldoni has the rights to Hoover’s It Starts With Us — the 2022 sequel to her 2016 novel It Ends With Us — but it seems the actor might not be on board to direct a second film in this movie universe. “I think there are better people for that one,” he told Entertainment Tonight on August 6, 2024, when asked about the possibility of stepping behind the camera for a sequel.
“I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think.” His comment made fans wonder if there was bad blood between Baldoni and Lively on set.
Us Weekly has since confirmed that there was an intense “creative struggle” between the two. “[Justin] was made to feel that his vision wasn’t as important as Blake’s, and it stifled the creativity on set,” a source told Us exclusively earlier this month. (Baldoni directed and starred as Ryle Kincaid in the film while Lively executive produced the movie and starred as Lily Bloom.
) It Ends With Us told the story of flower shop owner Lily who finds herself in an abusive relationship with Ryle, a neurosurgeon with a dark past. When the homeless man from Lily’s youth, named Atlas ( Brandon Sklenar ), resurfaces, it further throws a wrench in her relationship with Ryle. The second book is a continuation of Lily’s story — but this time with Atlas.
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