The much-anticipated book-to-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel It Ends With Us has finally landed on the 2024 movie schedule, but it's not the film itself that is making headlines. Rumors have been circulating about behind-the-scenes disagreements between the movie’s star and her co-star/director, Justin Baldoni. Adding fuel to the fire, Blake Lively, who stars as the protagonist Lily Bloom, recently got candid about a creative dispute that occurred during the film's production.
In a TikTok video shared by @hitsradiouk, Blake discusses a pivotal moment in the film, which involves the song "Cherry" by Lana Del Rey. The video was captioned “Why Blake Lively felt it was important to include Cherry by Lana Del Rey in It Ends With Us.” Here is what she told the interviewer, who expressed their excitement about hearing the song during the movie:
Right! They begged me to take that song out of the movie.
Including "Cherry" in a critical scene was a creative choice that Lively fought to maintain, believing it underscored the emotional complexity of the moment. When pressed why the filmmakers wanted to cut it, she revealed:
[eyeroll] I’m not supposed to be talking about this. But, because they felt like it was, like, too charged and heavy and things are still good with Ryle at that point, so you didn’t want to feel that charge. And I was like, "fuck, the moment Atlas enters, things are charged and heavy. Like there’s conflict, there’s pain, there’s turmoil, there’s tension because you’re like, 'Oh my God, my soul mate, the one that got away in my life, this person who’s haunting me in everything I do and everywhere I go is here now and we still had that connection.'" And you can be deeply in love with this person, but this person comes in and you’re like, your insides are going to be a mess. Yeah. So, that’s why.
According to the Gossip Girl veteran actress, the song's haunting tones perfectly match the tension and emotional depth of Lily's internal struggle. In the film, Lily grapples with her feelings for her first love, Atlas, portrayed by Justin Baldoni.
The film, which also stars Justin Baldoni and Brandon Sklenar, has been surrounded by rumors of a feud on set. These rumors have gained credibility, with Justin recently casting doubt on whether he will return to direct the sequel and even so far as suggesting Blake sit in the director's chair for a follow-up. Earlier this week, Page Six reported on an eyewitness video showing Blake and the actor-turned-filmmaker in an intense discussion outside a New Jersey restaurant, fueling speculation about tensions between them.
In the video, The Town star can be seen speaking animatedly to her director, gesturing with her hands and stepping back. Baldoni responds with similar gestures. The interaction ends with Lively saying “OK” before the two actors walk away. Although initially described as an argument, sources close to the production quickly dispelled these rumors, suggesting that the two were merely discussing a scene between takes.
Whether an actual feud exists between the two It Ends With Us stars remains unclear. However, Lively’s comments about the song underscore the passionate, creative differences that often arise when making a film, especially when adapting a beloved novel.
Despite these creative differences, the film seems to be resonating with its target audience. The movie differs a bit from the It Ends With Us book, but that hasn't stopped the flick from earning a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and performing well at the box office. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can check it out at a cinema near you.
