As classes start up and the final days of August wind down, most of us can admit that the summer of 2024 featured a plethora of box office hits. Whether you’re just getting around to seeing Twisters, which was released in the US on July 19th, or if you rushed to theaters to see Inside Out 2 in June, this summer offered up multiple opportunities to enjoy some classic popcorn and a good movie.
Most recently, on August 9th, It Ends with Us appeared in theaters, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 adult novel of the same title. The film was modestly produced by Sony Pictures for just $25 million, and has already made headlines with its $200 million global box office total and messy, cast drama. Despite its relatively meager budget, the successful romantic drama managed to obtain a star studded team including Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar. Here is where you’ve probably seen the cast of It Ends with Us before:
Blake Lively
Since her 2005 break out role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Blake Lively has been charming audiences with her sly smile and alluring grace. Since then, the Los Angeles native has starred in a variety of successful films like Green Lantern, The Age of Adaline, and A Simple Favor, in addition to her notable six season run with The CW’s Gossip Girl. In 2012, she married Canadian actor and film-producer, Ryan Reynolds, whom she shares four children with. In It Ends with Us, she stars as the film’s protagonist, Lily Blossom Bloom, a passionate florist arriving in Boston to open a flower shop after her father’s death.
Brandon Sklenar
As a northern New Jersey native, Brandon Sklenar is the son of a carpenter and hair dresser, making his professional debut in 2011’s Cornered. Seven years later, a big break came from his highly acclaimed performance in Mapplethorpe, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2018, he was casted in Vice, alongside Amy Adams and Christian Bale, before appearing in Indigo Valley and The Big Ugly. In the years following, Sklenar’s career continued to speed up, starring in Midway, Jonesin’, Futra Days, and Karen. In 2020, it was announced that he had been cast as Spencer Dutton in Paramount’s 1923 with Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. His latest role was Atlas Corrigan in the 2024 adaption of Hoover’s best selling novel.
Justin Baldoni
After taking advice of his apartment manager and trying out acting, Justin Baldoni got his start in front of the camera 2005 before showing interest in film production. He created a digital documentary series, My Last Days, in 2012, which received high attention and acclaim before being aired on The CW. Baldoni’s successful relationship with the network continued when he was cast as Rafael Solano in Jane the Virgin, which would enthrall audiences for six successful seasons. He stayed engaged in the romantic comedy genre, going on to direct Lionsgate’s 5 Feet Apart in 2019 and Disney’s Clouds in 2020. The rights to It Ends with Us were acquired by his production company Wayfair Studios in 2019, which he would eventually co-star with Lively as Ryle Kincaid.
For those of you about to purchase your tickets or just leaving the theater will a dozen questions, hopefully this article puts your mind at rest and scratches that itch. Afterall, it’s an age old question, “Where have I seen that face before?”