Colleen Hoover on the It Ends with Us Movie Adaptation

The anticipation is killing the millions of readers who have been eagerly awaiting the movie adaptation of It Ends with Us. And now, the weekend has finally arrived. As with any adaptation, fans are waiting on pins and needles to find out if the movie is going to be as good as the book. (Spoiler alert: It is! Check out our review.)

As the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Colleen Hoover, goes on press tours with the picture perfect leading lady, Blake Lively, as well as the director and lead actor, Justin Baldoni, ahead of the film release, she’s dropped a number of hints that should put readers’ minds at ease and we’ve rounded them all up. From how Justin became the director and then the leading man, playing Ryle himself, to how she feels about early criticism that came out during the production stage, fans can rest assured that Colleen didn’t let a single detail slip through the cracks.

On Justin Baldoni and Putting the Story in the Right Hands

Known for his role in Jane the Virgin, Justin Baldoni is no stranger to the screen, but when he read It Ends with Us, he knew he had to option it. And Colleen more than approved.

“I was very protective of this book,” Hoover says, adding that she rejected several offers before Baldoni’s. “But then I got an email from Justin that was really heartfelt, and I felt like he understood the book and he understood the importance of people needing to see it on-screen.”

Read the whole interview on Variety here.

As many CoHorts are aware, It Ends with Us is inspired by Colleen’s mother who left an abusive relationship herself to take care of her children. So she wasn’t going to hand this story to just anyone.

“This is the book that means the most with me,” Hoover said. “I’ve tried to have other books adapted and it didn’t quite go to fruition. I’ve been praying this would happen for four or five years now, so it just means so much to me. This book is the one that’s personal to me, so to get to see it on screen [is meaningful]. I watched it for the first time with my mother, who inspired the story, so words can’t express how amazing this whole experience is.”

Read the whole interview on EW here.

On Blake Lively as Lily Bloom

There was perhaps no bigger casting decision than choosing who would play the main character, Lily Bloom. And to say that Justin chose wisely would be an understatement. Colleen couldn’t even let herself get her hopes up at first.

“She is absolutely perfect for the role, when [Justin] told me that [Blake] was thinking about taking it I refused to get excited because I was like, ‘Oh, what if it doesn’t happen?’ because I was so excited that [it] was a possibility. And, man, she knocked it out of the park,” she admits.

Read the full ET interview here.

On Early Criticism of the Film’s Casting and Wardrobe Choices

In this Extra interview (where the set is to die for), Colleen sits down to share a number of her responses to early criticism of the character’s ages as well as some harsh feedback on Blake Lively’s wardrobe that came about when photos from the set were released.

When asked about how loyal the book is to the film, Colleen had this to say:

“In the beginning, [readers] put a lot of emphasis on Blake’s wardrobe and the ages of the characters and that created a lot of online chatter, but I think that watching this, they’re going to say ‘oh I get it now’. Her wardrobe complimented the set and the coloring of the film and everything so well I don’t think it’s an issue when you watch the film. […]I think the maturity of the characters and aging them up was the right choice.”

She goes on to put a fine point on her feelings about the adaptation when she says this:

“I don’t think I could be happier with how it turned out.”

For those already getting ahead of themselves and thinking about It Starts with Us, Colleen was also asked about a sequel film:

“There have been talks…”

But Colleen holds that it’s up to the cast, crew and creators to decide if they’ll do another. (So, go watch the movie to give them a little incentive!)

Watch the full Extra interview here.

One of the elements fans were most concerned about is the age of the characters. From the second casting was announced there was a bit of an uproar in the book world over the age gap between the characters in the novel and the actors who had been chosen. But Colleen actually liked this change (and we can concur, it totally worked):

“We aged up the characters,” Hoover said. “Eight years ago, when I wrote the book, new adult was huge. And everyone was wanting to read characters in their very early 20s. And this is such a tough subject matter that putting young, young characters on screen just didn’t feel right to us. So I think aging them up was such a great move, and it worked so well on film.”

Not only did this decision help avoid some of the concerns Colleen shares above, but once you see the two (okay, three) leads, you’ll never be able to picture anyone but them in the story.

“It all just worked out to where [Justin] was wanting that challenge and wanting to take on that role,” Hoover said. “And he did such a phenomenal job—both of them together, their chemistry on screen. It’s great.”

Read the full E! interview here.

At the annual Book Bonanza event in June, a reader-focused event started by Colleen and her sisters, Blake Lively sat down with Colleen Hoover as well as a reporter from ET for an hour-long discussion about the movie. It is truly a CAN’T-MISS interview where you get a genuine glimpse into the friendship that has formed between Blake and Colleen, along with a TON of insider scoop (and a guest appearance). But here are some of the nuggets you’ll find:

Colleen Gushes Over Blake’s Performance

“The level of talent [Blake] brought to Lily and the personality… she just made Lily her own. I now prefer movie Lily over book Lily.” Colleen

With the seriousness of the subject matter, you’d expect to be sobbing during the whole story. And there’s plenty of that, but there was also some fantastic comedic pauses. With Jenny Slate on screen, that can be expected. But Blake also brought a level of sass and edge that made her character blossom on screen.

Colleen said: “I laughed so much and I was not expecting to laugh.”

A Couple of Easter Eggs

Colleen Hoover makes a cameo in the movie. See if you can spot her. But she did have this to say about her film debut:

“That was actually my least favorite day on set. The stuff these actors go through…”

Readers can feel safe knowing that Colleen was on set though. She will always go to bat for her readers and she did this on more than a few occasions.

There were a couple of quotes Colleen was particular about seeing in the film. But she was especially particular about the “hollow heart” tattoo as it is not only a staple of the book, but a tattoo she herself has and that fans of the novel have gotten as well.

When she saw the choice in the movie, she actually had them change it to what fans were expecting knowing that this was a crucial part of the adaptation to land.

Watch the full interview here.

On Handling the Subject of Domestic Violence

Colleen was not going to put this movie in anyone’s hands. In fact, Justin Baldoni wrote Colleen a letter to ask to option the film that touched her so deeply, she knew he was the one to do it. And after seeing the film, she is confident she made the right choice.