Book-to-Screen
‘It Starts With Us’: Everything We Know About ‘It Ends With Us’ Sequel Amid Cast Drama
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Colleen Hoover’s It Starts With Us.]
It’s the question on every It Ends With Us fan’s mind: Will there be a sequel? After the massive success of It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover published the highly-anticipated follow-up It Starts With Us in 2022.
With a sequel right in front of us, the world is wondering if It Starts With Us will get the big-screen treatment, too. Director and star Justin Baldoni weighed in about the possibility of a sequel — but that was before major drama unfolded between him and costar Blake Lively.
Will there be an It Starts With Us movie?
Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, got the rights to It Ends With Us in 2019. It Starts With Us wasn’t released until 2022. As of August 2024, the rights to It Starts With Us have not been secured, so a film adaptation hasn’t been announced.
While a sequel would normally depend on the success of It Ends With Us, the drama between Baldoni and Lively will likely derail the possibility of the two working together again.
What happened between Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni?
Rumors of tension between Lively and Baldoni surfaced amid the press tour for It Ends With Us. The two did not attend media events together or pose with each other on the red carpet at any of the film’s premieres.
In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint against her costar, accusing him of alleged sexual harassment and helping to coordinate an online campaign to damage her reputation amid the movie’s release. She claimed that Baldoni engaged in “invasive, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior,” with allegations of body shaming, making sexual comments, indulging in unplanned kissing on set, and more. Baldoni’s legal team called the claims “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
Lively received overwhelming support after filing her lawsuit. The backlash against Baldoni only intensified days later when his former publicist sued him, claiming that he orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively without her knowledge.
The Gossip Girl star formally sued Baldoni on New Year’s Eve 2024. That same day, Baldoni sued The New York Times for $250 million, claiming the paper defamed him in their original story about Lively’s complaint.
Sony Pictures Releasing /Courtesy Everett Collection
Baldoni then filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, on January 16, 2025. “This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team, and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new, and doctored information to the media,” Baldoni’s attorney explained.
Days later, Baldoni shared raw footage from the It Ends With Us set to try and refute the sexual harassment claims against him. The scene in the footage was directly mentioned in Lively’s lawsuit. Baldoni claimed that the video “clearly refute(s) Ms. Lively’s characterization of his behavior.” Lively’s legal team disagreed and released a statement insisting that the footage actually corroborates her story, while also asking for a cease-and-desist letter against Baldoni and his legal team to be enforced.
What has the cast said about It Starts With Us?
Baldoni told TV Insider in August 2024 that he hadn’t approached Hoover and Lively about adapting It Starts With Us yet. “I have no idea what that story would be,” Baldoni told TV Insider. “I’m somebody who’s just doing my best to stay in the present and stay in the here and in the now and not think too far ahead. I’m just kind of doing my best to take this all in because it’s been five years to even get us here. So I can’t even fathom another story yet, but I’m so happy that fans love it and that she did it.”
In a separate interview at the film’s premiere, Baldoni hinted that he wouldn’t direct the sequel. “I think that there are better people for that one,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think.”
In response to Baldoni pitching Lively as the director for It Starts With Us, Hoover said she’d “absolutely” be down for that. “I’ve had the best time working with everyone on this movie,” the author told ET. “I think whoever decides to take charge of the next one would do it justice. I think they’re all in it for the right reasons, so I think that will be exciting. But it’s a lot of people to get the same schedules together again, so we’ll see.”
Who would return for It Starts With Us?
Lily, Atlas, and Ryle are all featured in It Starts With Us, so in usual circumstances, Lively, Sklenar, and Baldoni would be expected to return if a sequel movie did happen. It Starts With Us also includes more flashbacks, so Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter would likely reprise their roles as well.
Lily and Ryle’s daughter, Emerson, would also play a bigger role in the sequel. It Starts With Us also introduces us to Atlas’ mother, Sutton, and his brother, Josh, so these roles would have to be cast.
What is It Starts With Us about?
The novel picks up after the events of It Ends With Us. The story follows Lily and Atlas as they rekindle their relationship after Lily divorces Ryle. Lily is also navigating a co-parenting relationship with Ryle.
The sequel explores Atlas’ complicated family dynamics. Similar to Lily, he grew up in an abusive household. His mother and stepfather kicked him out when he was a teenager, which led him to Lily. In It Starts With Us, Atlas ultimately fights for parental rights over his younger brother, Josh. His mother, Sutton, eventually agrees to his terms.
The novel ends with Lily and Atlas getting married.
It Ends With Us, Streaming Now, Netflix
