To many Colleen Hoover fans, the announcement of the movie revival of “It Ends With Us,” a bestselling romance novel that has sold over one million copies and been translated into over twenty languages was exciting news. However, once the cast list was released, reactions were extremely divided. 

The story centers around Lily Bloom, who enters a love triangle with a new prospect, Ryle, and her former relationship, Atlas. Lily Bloom is to be played by successful “Gossip Girl” actress Blake Lively, and Ryle is to be played by “Five Feet Apart” actor Justin Baldoni, who additionally will be directing the movie. 

“I personally think that Blake Lively was a great choice for Lily, as she is just a very talented actress in general and could play any role,” says junior Katie Horwitz. 

Sophomore Kylie Wilt has a dissenting opinion, saying that Lively is not the person she pictured for the role of Lily, and that “she’s a good actress, but there are other people who could have fit the role better and been more accurate for Lily”. 

Baldoni’s casting has not raised many concerns, although many fans feel that both actors are not age- appropriate for the roles, with Lily Bloom being twenty three in the novel, and Ryle being thirty years old. Blake Lively is currently thirty six, and Justin Baldoni is forty years old, being significantly older than their respective characters. 

Even so, “It Ends With Us” is predicted to be a very successful movie, and will be released on June 21, 2024. Fans are excited to see the characters’ portrayals, and the movie is sure to be one of the most anticipated in 2024.