Since the pandemic, the growth in reading and popularity of certain authors has increased immensely.
One of those authors was Colleen Hoover, although her glory didn’t last forever.
It Ends With Us, originally published in 2016, reached such high popularity that a sequel, It Starts With
Us, was released in 2022. Similarly, on August 9, 2024, a movie was released in theaters. The opening day consisted of 3,611 locations and $24 million. The anticipation for the movie can’t only be credited to the success of the book but also the success of the people involved in the project. Justin Baldoni starred and directed along with Blake Lively, who starred and produced.
Despite the successful cast, dedicated readers, and $242.6 million box office value, the movie has
followed in the steps of the controversial book.
Readers seemed to go from praising Hoover’s depiction of domestic violence to claiming she was
romanticizing it. Some of her other novels like Ugly Love and November 9 were called out for other controversial lines or topics. The announcement of the movie worried those who stood against the novel, criticisms of the outfits and casting only fueling the fire.
The criticism for the movie grew and grew. Although both Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are beloved
actors, famous for projects like “Jane the Virgin” and “Gossip Girl”, respectively, the popular dislike of Colleen Hoover seemed to surpass what they potentially thought people would like. The age change angered readers who wanted to see the book transcribed to screen effortlessly. The character of Lily Bloom, in the novel, is 23. Blake Lively, on the other hand, is 37. Colleen Hoover argued that the age change makes more sense for qualities like Ryle being a successful neurosurgeon, but it seems that there were some things the readers did not want changed. The hatred before the release went so far that when the movie’s production shut down due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, people online originally speculated that it was shut down due to the incessant complaints directed at the film.
Now that the film has been released, opinions have been debated. Many who did not read the book are
posting praises of the film on TikTok. Similarly, some who had a negative experience with the book and speculated they would feel the same about the movie, have expressed shock at their positive experience watching it. Nevertheless, the opinion generally remains mixed. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer sits at a 58% while the Popcornmeter sits at 91%. Criticism of the movie has not been abolished. Instead, criticism of aspects of the story removed as well as refusal to support Colleen Hoover have fought against the videos of people claiming their lives were changed by the movie.
Whether the It Ends With Us movie adaptation was a good idea or a bad idea remains up for debate.
The financial success might cause other popular authors to want their movies adapted, but the strength of social media criticism from fans might hinder that desire.
