It Ends With Us performed well after it was released in 2024, although the book to screen adaptation (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) is mostly synonymous with the years-long legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. But the movie's stars have finally reached an agreement, issuing a joint-statement in the process. Baldoni allegedly still wants to make It Ends With Us' sequel, but would he actually work with the Gossip Girl star again?
The novel It Ends With Us has a follow-up, titled It Starts With Us. While author Colleen Hoover didn't intend for that book to get a film adaptation, a report by scooper Rob Shuter claims that Justin Baldoni (who directed the first film) is interested in continuing the narrative. An anonymous insider allegedly close to him was quoted, saying:
Justin still believes in these stories and believes audiences are ready to move on. He thinks the focus can finally return to the movies instead of the drama.
Indeed, Justin Baldoni hasn't been attached to any new projects since the It Ends With Us legal saga began... either as an actor or a director. So it would track that he might be trying to get back behind the camera now that the drama is in the rear view. We'll just have to wait and see if he actually directs a sequel, or signs on to something new entirely.
After Blake Lively filed a complaint against his company Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni filed his own defamation case again Lively and Ryan Reynolds. This years-long battle seemingly put the kibosh on the burgeoning film franchise, as another anonymous insider put it:
People genuinely thought the franchise was dead. Studios were nervous. Producers didn’t know if the sequel had become too toxic to touch.
Both Lively and Baldoni's careers seem to have suffered as a result if the It Ends With Us drama, and the allegations they made about each other. Then again, the constant headlines might result in moviegoers being invested in a possible sequel. But would he work with the Green Lantern actress again to continue Lily's story? A third insider addressed this, claiming:
Justin would work with Blake again if it helped save the franchise. He’s not interested in revenge. He just wants to make movies again.
What a story that would be. Folks were shocked when the two It Ends With Us stars settled without going to court, and the idea of them collaborating on a sequel would likely break the internet. Of course, there's no indication that the studio is actually interested in creating a franchise out of Hoover's novels.
It Ends With Us is streaming now on Netflix. We'll just have to see what comes next for Baldoni's career. As for Lively, she's attached to a few projects outside of the 2026 movie release list.
