Justin Baldoni Wants Blake Lively to Direct It Starts With Us


Director and star Justin Baldoni has addressed the possibility of directing the It Ends With Us sequel, based on bestselling author Colleen Hoover’s 2022 novel It Starts With Us. This comes after less than a week since the romantic drama made its theatrical debut, which currently has a worldwide gross of $80 million at the box office.

What did Justin Baldoni say about the It Ends With Us sequel?

During a recent interview, when asked if he would be willing to direct the potential It Ends With Us sequel, Baldoni admitted that he would like someone else to take on the job instead. He also suggested that co-star Blake Lively would be the right person to helm the possible sequel, which will continue Lily, Ryle, and Atlas’s stories.

“I think there are better people for that one,” Baldoni said (via Entertainment Tonight). “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct. That’s what I think.”

It Ends With Us was directed by Baldoni from a screenplay by Christy Hall. The film stars Lively as Lily Bloom, Baldoni as Ryle, Brandon Sklenar as Atlas, Jenny Slate as Alyssa, Hasan Minhaj as Marshall, and Amy Morton. It is executive produced by Baldoni, Lively, Hoover, Steve Sarowitz, Andrew Calof, and Andrea Ajemian, with Alex Saks, Jamey Heath, and Hall producing.

“The film tells the compelling story of Lily Bloom, a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chase a lifelong dream of opening her own business,” reads the synopsis. “A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.”