A controversial film starring Blake Lively is making its way to Netflix. Lively rose to fame with her starring role as Serena in Gossip Girl, but she has since become a major presence in the world of movies. She’s featured in a variety of genres over the past two decades, including action-thrillers like The Town (2010) and The Rhythm Section (2020), the horror-adjacent The Shallows (2016), and the family-friendly IF (2024).
Lively, who is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, has also appeared in a variety of romantic movies. In addition to getting plenty of romantic storylines on Gossip Girl, Lively starred in The Age of Adaline (2015) and Elvis and Anabelle (2007). One of Lively’s earliest movie appearances is in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), which has elements of teen romance. None of these movies, however, were affected by behind-the-scenes drama quite like the actor’s 2024 hit.
It Ends With Us Is Coming To Netflix
The Blake Lively Movie Was A Big Success In Theaters’
It Ends With Us will soon land on Netflix after generating controversy earlier this year. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, the romance drama stars Lively as Lily Bloom, a woman who finds herself faced with difficult choices after her first love re-enters her life and disrupts her troubled current relationship. It Ends With Us was mired in controversy before and after its release due to reports of friction behind-the-scenes between Lively and director and star Justin Baldoni, as well as claims that the film glorifies domestic violence.
Netflix now shares a new post on X, formerly Twitter, confirming that It Ends With Us will arrive on the streamer in the U.S. on December 9, 2024. This streaming release date comes exactly four months after the film hit theaters on August 9. Check out Netflix’s announcement below:
“It Ends With Us, based on the Colleen Hoover novel, is coming to Netflix in the US on December 9. Starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar. pic.twitter.com/yrjWWGGlxU — Netflix (@netflix) November 25, 2024
“It Ends With Us, based on the Colleen Hoover novel, is coming to Netflix in the US on December 9,” the post reads. “Starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar.”
It Ends With Us’ Controversies Explained
Lively & Baldoni Reportedly Didn’t See Eye To Eye
It Ends With Us was a major hit at the box office, grossing just under $350 million worldwide on a budget of only $25 million. The controversy surrounding the film certainly contributed to this commercial success. The first hints of a feud between Lively and Baldoni were unearthed by Internet sleuths, who took notice of the peculiar social media habits of select It Ends With Us cast members. More substantial reporting would later claim that Lively and Baldoni had major disagreements over the film’s creative direction, with two competing cuts emerging during post-production.
It Ends With Us earned mixed reviews and has a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes .
The other arm of the controversy surrounds the contents of the film itself. A major component of the story is that Lily’s relationship with Baldoni’s character, Ryle Kincaid, is abusive. Some have claimed that the way in which It Ends With Us depicts this relationship is problematic, but this evidently wasn’t enough to deter audiences from seeking the movie out in theaters. It’s likely that the movie will be similarly popular on Netflix.
