Colleen Hoover’s novels are currently definite finds on every twenty-something’s bookshelf. With the recent news of one of her most notable works, It Ends With Us, being developed into a film, countless fans have shared their casting opinions on TikTok. The New York Times bestseller centers around Lily Bloom and her relationship with her abusive partner Ryle Kincaid. However, in the midst of it all, Lily spontaneously rekindles her friendship with a boy from her childhood, Atlas Corrigan. Atlas helps Lily navigate her life as safely as possible with Ryle. Though It Ends With Us was first published seven years ago, the cult following remains passionate about the casting of their beloved characters. My research shows the most commonly wanted actors for the roles are as follows:
Abigail Gowen (Fate: Winx Club) as Lily
Logan Lerman (Perks of Being a Wallflower) as Atlas
Theo James (Divergent Series) as Ryle
Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) as Young Lily
Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) as Young Atlas
These actors are all young and relevant to Gen Z viewers, which I predict will make up a large portion of the audience. Abigail Cowen, Sadie Sink, and Louis Patridge all recently starred in respective Netflix Originals, and Logan Lerman and Theo James remain eternal heartthrobs from the early 2010s. These are the actors that will bring young people to theaters. These are the actors that will have fans whooping in their seats when Atlas offers Lily his house as a safe haven to escape Ryle’s violence.
However, since some of the official cast was announced on TikTok by Colleen Hoover herself, fans are not too pleased with her choices: Blake Lively as Lily and Justin Baldoni as Ryle. Baldoni is also set to produce the film. While both the actors are notoriously adored and unproblematic (which is hard to come by these days), fans have expressed that they feel these characters are too old to portray the beloved characters they hold close to them accurately. In the book, Lily is 23 years old for most of the story, unlike Lively, albeit undeniably gorgeous, who is currently 35. Similarly, Baldoni is presently 39, when his respective role is 30. Additionally, one of Lily’s main physical features is her iconic red hair. Some fans feel that the film should remain as authentic to the book as possible by casting a natural redhead for the role, hence their enthusiasm for Cowen and Sink and their copper locks. This being said, the topics covered in this story are complex and of sensitive nature. As long as the directors, producers, and actors remain respectful and appropriate toward the delicate subject matter, the film is set to succeed.
XO, Christina