The 2016 novel It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover is now a movie. Blake Lively plays Lily, a florist who falls in love with Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon played by Justin Baldoni. Their romance mirrors the bad parts of Lily’s parents’ marriage. When Atlas Corrigan, her childhood sweetheart, played by Brandon Sklenar, returns to her life, things become complicated.
So, if you want to know who is part of It Ends with Us cast along with Blake Lively? Keep reading to find out all the details!
1- Blake Lively as Lily Bloom
First up is Blake Lively, 35, will play Lily Bloom in the film adaptation of It Ends with Us. To transform into the character, Lively dyed her signature blonde hair to red.
Advertisement “Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. She’s my dream Lily,”
Author Colleen Hoover announced on Instagram in January 2023.
Lively is no stranger to book adaptations. She first gained fame in 2005 as Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and later as Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. Her other notable roles include Green Lantern (2011), The Age of Adaline (2015), and A Simple Favor (2018). She received praise for her role in The Rhythm Section (2020) and will reprise her role in the sequel to A Simple Favor.
Lively made her directorial debut with Taylor Swift’s music video “I Bet You Think About Me” in 2021, earning Video of the Year nominations at the CMA and ACM Awards. She is also set to direct the film adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel Seconds.
2- Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid
Justin Baldoni, 39, will play Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon who initially avoids relationships but falls for Lily. Baldoni, who optioned It Ends with Us in 2019, also directed and executive produced the film adaptation.
“I just thought he had what it takes to play that character. The good news is he’s gonna be Ryle. So we have our Ryle and our Lily.”
Colleen Hoover on her Instagram as she approved Baldoni for the role
Baldoni is best known for his role as Rafael Solano on the CW series Jane the Virgin (2014-2019). He has also directed the docuseries My Last Days, the 2019 film Five Feet Apart, and the 2020 Disney+ movie Clouds. He’s working on a live-action Pac-Man movie through his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
3- Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan
Completing Hoover’s love triangle is Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan, Lily’s high school boyfriend, who reappears as she begins her adult life and new relationship.
Sklenar, 32, is best known for playing Spencer Dutton on the Paramount+ series 1923, a Yellowstone spinoff that debuted in 2022. The New Jersey native has acted in films and TV shows since 2011. His first big break came in 2018 with the biographical drama Mapplethorpe, where he played Edward, the brother of the titular Robert Mapplethorpe. Sklenar also appeared in the Dick Cheney biopic Vice alongside Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Christian Bale, and Sam Rockwell.
4- Jenny Slate as Allysa
In May 2021, Deadline reported that comedian Jenny Slate, 41, joined the cast as Ryle’s sister, Allyssa Kincaid. Her character plays a crucial role in the book, and Slate was seen filming later that month.
Besides her role in It Ends With Us, Slate has numerous film and TV credits. She voiced Marcel in the 2022 animated film Marcel the Shell, based on the popular YouTube series, and starred in the Oscar-winning movie Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. She also played Mona-Lisa Saperstein on NBC’s hit sitcom Parks & Recreation.
5- Hasan Minhaj as Marshall
Hasan Minhaj joined the cast in May 2023 as Marshall, Allyssa’s husband, according to Deadline.
Minhaj, an award-winning comedian, has appeared in several Netflix projects, including his comedy specials Homecoming King and The King’s Jester and Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj. He also plays Eric Nomani in Apple TV+’s series The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Who else is starring in It Ends With Us?
Other cast members who starred in the romance novel film are:
- Steve Monroe as Realtor
- Alex Neustaedter as Young Altas Corrigan
- Will Fitz as Partygoer
- Isabela Ferrer as Young Lilly Bloom
- Daphne Zelle as Female Waiter
- Sharlene Shayan as Party Girl
- Abbie Van Lee as Spring Pedestrian
What Have the Stars of the Film Said About the Film?
In June, Lively and Hoover spoke at a panel at Book Bonanza 2024 in Grapevine, Texas, about their new film and showed a preview of it.
Lively explained how exciting bringing a beloved book character to life on screen was. She also admitted it was scary because everyone has different ideas of what the character should look like, and it’s hard to match up with what everyone imagines.
Even though Lively found it scary, she said it was really exciting to become that character and make the fans and the book proud.
What Have Fans of the Books Said About the Film, It Ends with Us So Far?
When photographers snapped the first pictures of Lively and Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us, fans had different opinions about Lively’s outfit for her character, Lily Bloom.
In an interview with ET, Baldoni talked about the fans’ criticism and said he understood their feelings.
“When you really love something, it’s great that social media lets fans share their thoughts,” he said. “If it weren’t for fans, we wouldn’t be making this movie. So let them share their opinions. I don’t worry about it too much because the photos only show one small part of Lily’s life, and we don’t always think about why her clothes look a certain way in those pictures. Once you watch the movie, everything will make sense.”
Hoover mentioned that it really matters to him that fans care so much about the book that they want to see it made into a movie just like it is.
Who is the It Ends With Us screenwriter?
Christy Hall is the screenwriter for It Ends With Us, confirmed by Deadline in January 2022. Hall is also a producer for the film. In addition to It Ends With Us, Hall has written for the Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This and projects like Daddio and The Husband’s Secret.
How Are The Critics Reviewing It Ends With Us?
It Ends With Us has a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means many critics didn’t love it.
Jinal Bhatt from The Mary Sue liked the movie, saying it’s a thoughtful film about the topic. She hopes it gets as much attention as the book did on BookTok and Bookstagram.
Nick Schager from The Daily Beast didn’t like the movie’s length and had other complaints. He thought the characters, decisions, and story were not believable, and he felt like the movie dragged on because it was 130 minutes long.
Lena Wilson from IGN Movies had good things to say about the film. She said,
“Even though ‘It Ends With Us’ is sometimes a bit cheesy and overly sweet as a book, Justin Baldoni’s movie version has a great script and amazing performances, especially by Blake Lively. It really makes Colleen Hoover’s story shine on screen.”
What’s the Hype about It Ends With Us movie on Twitter?
Wrap Up
The controversial romance novel It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover became a TikTok sensation. The announcement of a film adaptation thrilled fans, though perhaps not the haters. With the trailer released, we now know the It Ends With Us cast includes talented and devoted individuals set to play Lily, Ryle, Atlas, and other characters, aiming to bring Hoover’s book to the big screen and make the theatrical run successful.
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