'It Ends with Us' is the new killing-the-box-office romance drama, raking in a whopping $7 million from Thursday previews and setting it on track to break more than $40 million by the weekend. Based on Colleen Hoover's bestseller of the same name in 2016, this movie has connected with fans in a way that can be a pretty good box office juggernaut. So, with that near-certain success, some questions now beg to be asked: What's in store for a sequel, most particularly in terms of the cast and overall staff's return to the film?
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| Sony Pictures Releasing / courtesy Everett Collection |
Leading and playing the role of Ryle Kincaid in this adaptation is Justin Baldoni, with female lead Lily Bloom starring Blake Lively. Their on-screen chemistry and a great plot that explains the love story, trauma, and healing have captured the hearts of many. The storyline is about Lily who owns a flower shop in Boston city and how she meets and falls in love with the enchanting but troubled neurosurgeon Ryle. Their beautiful love turns tumultuous as Lily moves on from Ryle through the effects of his aggressive traits and revisits her past love, Atlas Corrigan, by Brandon Sklenar. These characters celebrate the interwoven destinies forming an emotional piece of writing.
With all the speculation rife around a sequel, especially with Hoover releasing her next book, "It Starts With Us," in 2022, all hopes were high that Baldoni, Lively, and Sklenar might be getting reprised for acting in that film. The same was reaffirmed during the film's premiere by Baldoni in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. When later asked if he would come back to direct the sequel, he shocked many by declining, saying he believes there are "better people for that one." He notably suggested Blake Lively, indicating his belief in her capacities and vision.
For Lively, however, the project seems to have more personal implications than just production. Her commitment to the material and her character means that she might also be invested in the story itself continuing. Lively's relationship with Baldoni during the making of the film has been the subject of some speculation, though, as rumors circulated that she was at odds with Baldoni over how the film should be edited. Both were quite mum on these matters and instead focused on just showcasing the film.
Even Hoover herself has been vocal about the emotional depth of the story, detailing how protective she was of her original material, describing how she decided on which director would finally adapt it: Baldoni. She liked his sensitive take on handling the novel, and that he seemed to "get" it. The passion on the part of Baldoni isn't hard to find either, as he repeatedly refers to his strong attachment to the story, saying in Variety, "It was sexy, and it was romantic and mysterious.". By the end, I was crying. I could see the trailer; I was writing something that was making me cry real snot tears." This level of personal investment is promising for any adaptations that may follow since respecting the integrity of the source material is crucial for a successful transition from the page to the screen.
Sequel in the Works
On the sequel front, Baldoni has reportedly stated that his own company, Wayfarer Studios, has an option on Hoover's second novel meaning the gears are already in motion that may enable the continuation of the story. However, he tempered the excitement when he added that he did not take very seriously the prospect of a follow-up to "It Ends With Us," explaining that he was midway through the process of launching its film adaptation. That cautious stance underscores the complications involved in translating written works into screenplays and the need to test the audience's reaction before committing to do it all over again.
The general reaction to "It Ends With Us" sets a positive tone that opens the way for a sequel. If the film indeed survives at the box office and gathers the expected critical appreciation, then perhaps a revisit for Baldoni and his team to develop the convincing plots opened in the first part and evolve relationships among Lily, Ryle, and Atlas will set it on its way.
Now that the film is out and after hitting the theaters across the country and making noise to the audience, what could be next? A sequel must be inevitable at this point, which should look into deeper layers of their lives, their love and healing journeys, and personal growth which would echo all the themes present in both the original novel and its sequel.
It is impossible to say whether a sequel with the original cast will be put together, but how everyone involved in "It Ends With Us" has galvanized goes to show that their hearts are all in it. The fans sit wondering, holding their breath, as to news of a sequel, because the success of this film could possibly just be the starting act to more of Colleen Hoover's stories coming soon to the big screen.