Colleen Hoover‘s film adaption for “It Ends With Us” has found its stars.
The bestselling author announced on Jan. 26 that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been cast as Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. In a video shared on social media, Hoover began by sharing the inspiration for the New York Times bestselling book she published in 2016.
“It Ends With Us” follows Lily Bloom attempt to break the cycle of abuse in her life. It details her childhood and living with an abusive father, followed by her tumultuous marriage to a controlling neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. However, Lily finds solace in her childhood friend Atlas Corrigan after they reconnect.
“Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively,” Hoover said in her video. “Blake Lively, y’all. She’s my dream Lily. And 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, and the good news is he’s gonna be Ryle,” she continued, adding that she knows the actors have what it takes to bring the characters to life.
No word yet on who will play Atlas.
Before sharing the casting news, Hoover showed her childhood home and the memories it held.
“This is the house that I grew up in and lived in until, from the age of probably 4 to 18. No one lives here now, we still live on the land,” she began.
She added that she wanted everyone to know “how appreciative I am to my mother, who got us out of a scary situation when I was little and brought us to this house.”
Hoover described the home as a place “full of love and joy” and filled with wonderful memories for her. “The fact that we are now discussing a movie that’s made from a book that was loosely inspired by my mother, it’s just bittersweet.”
She concluded her video by saying, “The little girl who used to sleep in that bedroom thanks you for all the support…Blake Lively. Blake Lively. I can’t say it enough.”
Deadline first announced the casting, reporting that Christy Hall is adapting the script. The film is currently in development with Wayfarer Studios and Sony Pictures.
“It Ends With Us” became a “BookTok” phenomenon, selling over 20 million copies. Hoover is the best-selling author in the U.S. with three of her books topping the New York Times’ paperback fiction bestseller list.
However, earlier this month, the author and “It Ends With Us” caused controversy after it was announced that it was being made into a coloring book. After fans expressed that the story of abuse was being marketed as a love story.
The coloring book was ultimately canceled.
