Director Justin Baldoni has responded to the reactions surrounding the trailer for It Ends With Us, addressing concerns about character age changes and the inclusion of a Taylor Swift song.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the film stars Blake Lively as Lily Bloom, a young woman navigating a complex relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (played by Baldoni) while grappling with past trauma.
In an interview at the premiere of The Garfield Movie, Baldoni acknowledged the anticipation and apprehension surrounding the adaptation. He assured fans that the film honored the book and its important social themes, stating, “We really honored the book, I believe.”
One of the most discussed changes is the characters’ ages. In the novel, Lily is 23 at the beginning, but the film portrays her as older. Baldoni explained that this decision was made to make the story more universal and relatable to a wider audience. “Originally, Colleen had written this over 10 years ago, and it was a time when everyone was writing YA and she wanted the characters to be older,” Baldoni revealed. “For us, it was just more about making the story more universal because this isn’t just a story about a young woman, it’s a story about women, and it does not discriminate.”
The trailer also sparked excitement using Taylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet.” Baldoni playfully credited Lively, Swift’s close friend, for securing the song, saying, “I take no credit for that, I’m sure that was all Blake.”
The Sony film, hitting theatres on August 9th, has generated significant buzz since the trailer’s release. As anticipation builds, Baldoni’s comments offer insight into the creative decisions behind the adaptation and aim to reassure fans that the essence of Hoover’s beloved story remains intact.
