PR Drama Between Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni Leaves It Ends With Us Sequel Uncertain; KNOW More

It Ends With Us succeeded at the box office, but PR drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni casts uncertainty on a potential sequel despite strong fan interest.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Aug 29, 2024 | 12:04 PM IST | 96K

PR Drama Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Puts It Ends With Us Sequel in Jeopardy

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (PC: Instagram/blakelively/ justinbaldoni)

It Ends With Us has sparked a revival of the beloved chick flick genre. While Blake Lively, the film's star, brought love and laughter as anticipated, she also introduced elements that were unexpected for the industry. The film's box office success was overshadowed by a public relations dispute between Lively and the film's director, Justin Baldoni. Despite the drama, fans remain hopeful for a sequel.

The box office success of It Ends With Us has reignited hopes for a sequel, especially since there is already a literary continuation, It Starts With Us, ready for adaptation. However, ongoing PR issues between Lively and Baldoni make the future of the sequel uncertain. At the movie's premiere, Baldoni, when asked about the possibility of a sequel, suggested directing such questions to him but expressed confusion over their origin. Typically, in Hollywood, such situations are leveraged to create additional intellectual and financial value, but in this case, the future remains unclear.

The film rights for It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us are owned by Justin Baldoni, who acquired them from author Colleen Hoover in 2019. Baldoni was considered the perfect choice to handle these rights, as he understood the book's value and potential.

For a sequel to move forward, it seems necessary for Lively and Baldoni to resolve their differences. Since Baldoni’s studio owns the rights, he plays a crucial role in any potential sequel. Although Baldoni has expressed doubts about the feasibility of a sequel, it’s hard to believe that his studio hasn’t considered capitalizing on the film's popularity.

Given the significant success of It Ends With Us, the idea of it becoming a franchise hasn’t been entirely ruled out. It remains to be seen whether Lively and Baldoni can find common ground and collaborate on a sequel.