On May 16, the first photographs of Blake Lively filming for her upcoming movie, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling (and TikTok-favorite) book It Ends With Us, were revealed. Lively is playing Lily Bloom, the main character of the novel, and while some were obsessed with Lively’s new hair color and overall look, several BookTok fans were disappointed.
The set images showed Lively dressed in a light brown, halter-style summer dress with wavy red hair. She was seen in some shots layering the dress with a carnation pink Carhartt T-shirt and a hot pink work jacket. Her makeup was kept minimal, accentuating her natural beauty with rose gold eyeshadow, subtle blush, and a nude pink lip.
As for accessories, Lively (as Lily) only wore statement rings and mismatched earrings. She also carried a cream canvas tote bag with the signature black Valentino Garavani monogram. Her footwear consisted of aged penny loafers paired with patterned socks that looked to be reminiscent of her previous film, Age of Adeline, rather than this one.
In the Hoover novel, Lily Bloom is described as a redhead who speaks her mind and has a hippie yet cottagecore aesthetic. Because of this, the pictures of Lively sparked some questioning of whether or not the filmmakers actually read the book. It Ends With Us details the relationships Lily has with Atlas Corrigan, her first love, and Ryle Kincaid, her new love interest, whom she meets after moving from a small town in Maine to the bustling city of Boston post-college.
In late January 2023, Hoover shared that Lively and Justin Baldoni, who is also directing the film, are bringing the characters of Lily and Ryle to life onscreen. During the announcement, the author called Lively her “dream Lily.” Fans were already not thrilled with the casting decision because both actors are much older than their roles in the novel. Specifically, Lively, 35, is supposed to play the 23-year-old main character. Since the first photos surfaced, some fans’ fears about the cast have been confirmed, and they are expressing their concerns via social media. They argue that aging up the characters could have a significant impact on the story as a whole.
People still love Blake Lively, but many say this is not their Lily Bloom. Despite this, fans are willing to not judge this book by a cover. Although it might not have been what they envisioned for the character, they are willing to trust the process and give Lively’s Bloom a chance.