‘It Ends With Us’: Understand the Controversies Behind Colleen Hoover’s Adaptation

The movieThis is how it endsadaptation of the best-selling book by Colleen Hooverhas been generating controversy since its release. The production, which hit theaters earlier this month, is not only a topic of conversation for its narrative, but also for the behind-the-scenes conflicts involving the protagonists Blake Lively and Justin Baldoniand Blake’s husband, Ryan Reynolds.

The plot follows Lily Blossom (Blake), a young florist who enters into a relationship with Ryle (Justin). Over time, Ryle becomes aggressive, possessive and jealous, things that remind her of her parents’ relationship. The situation worsens when Lily’s first love Lily, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar)reappears in his new life in Boston and messes with his feelings.

The book, which explores themes such as domestic violence and psychological abuse, gained a lot of fame because of the TikTok (more specifically BookTok, part of the platform that talks about literature), and even topped the bestseller list of New York Times. Therefore, the film adaptation generated expectations among fans.

Controversies Behind the Scenes

The atmosphere behind the scenes of the film was somewhat turbulent. Blake, who is also a producer on the film, asked her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to rewrite parts of the script. However, the script rewritten by Reynolds was rejected by Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film. Lively revealed in an interview with E! News that her husband wrote the famous rooftop scene, but this is something Baldoni has never confirmed.

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Other sources indicate that the relationship between the stars, Blake and Baldoni, was also tense. During filming, the actor reportedly asked her trainer about Lively’s weight to avoid injuries, which made the actress uncomfortable.

The backstage tensions escalated when the TMZ and theThe Hollywood Reporter released details about the conflicts. Justin Baldoni recently hired a crisis manager from the same agency he defended Johnny Depp in the legal dispute with Amber Heardwhich raised further speculation about the severity of the situation.

‘It Ends With Us’ Banned in Qatar Over Kissing Scenes

The movie This is how it endsbased on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover and starring Blake Livelywas banned from showing in Qatar. According to sources close to the film, the country’s censorship committee vetoed the release due to scenes that include kissing and a sequence in which the characters appear in their underwear. Although the film is rated PG-13 (some material may be inappropriate for children under 13), Qatar, known for its strict censorship rules, decided not to release the production in theaters.

This is not the first time that Qatar has banned the screening of films from Hollywood. Recently, the country also banned titles such as Barbie (2023) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2023), both censored for content that does not align with local cultural norms. Films with references to LGBTQIA+ themes and nude scenes are particularly targeted by local authorities.