It Ends With Us, directed by Justin Baldoni and starring Blake Lively, is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.

One of the many highly anticipated movies affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike was Justin Baldoni’s adaptation of the beloved novel It Ends With Us. The film was put on hold for months while the strike was settled, but it was eventually completed in time for a summer 2024 debut. Indeed, via the trailer (embedded above), we now have our first look at the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best seller.

Blake Lively stars opposite Baldoni himself. The plot revolves around a young woman going through the tumultuous stages of an abusive relationship. After moving to Boston after college, she decides to start her own business as a florist, only to fall in love with a young neurosurgeon. Baldoni stars alongside Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, and Steve Monroe. Sklenar is considered a rising star following his acclaimed turn as one of the leads on Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spin-off 1923. Like many other shows, that one was also affected by the strike, and no return date has been announced, which is frustrating for fans as it ended with a MASSIVE cliffhanger.

The trailer suggests this movie could be the big romantic event audiences might be craving this summer, with it scored by the Taylor Swift song, “My Tears Ricochet.” The trailer certainly hints at something a bit heavier than a standard romantic melodrama, with the film tackling domestic abuse in a clear-headed, three-dimensional way. This is certainly a huge swing for Baldoni, who parlayed his success as a leading man on Jane the Virgin to a burgeoning career as a director, having previously made the film Five Feet Apart, which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide.

While this be the date movie of the summer? We’ll find out when It Ends With Us hits theaters on August 9th.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.