Blake Lively enthusiasts will need a touch more patience to witness the actress's return to the big screen.
The cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, "It Ends With Us," featuring Lively in the lead role of Lily Bloom, is now set to grace theaters on June 21, as confirmed by PEOPLE. Initially scheduled for a release on Feb. 9, the film has undergone a slight delay.
Notably, Lively assumes the role of both actress and executive producer for the film, which is directed by Justin Baldoni. The Wayfarer Studios, helmed by the Jane the Virgin alum, optioned the book in 2019, with official casting announcements emerging in January 2023.
Baldoni portrays Ryle Kincaid, the character with whom Lively's Lily Bloom finds herself entangled romantically. Jenny Slate takes on the role of his sister, while Brandon Sklenar portrays Atlas Corrigan, Lily's first love, who unexpectedly reenters her life.
The film's synopsis teases a narrative of love and complexity: "Lily Bloom believes she has discovered the love of her life in Ryle Kincaid. However, a troubling incident of abuse forces her to confront her dark past, compelling her to question if love alone can sustain her marriage. The plot further unfolds with the return of her first love, a man she once took in when he was homeless."
In a January 2023 Instagram video, Hoover expressed her excitement for the film adaptation: "I think that Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have what it takes to bring these characters to life, and I cannot wait for you guys to see that happen."
Addressing age differences between her novel's characters and the real-life actors portraying them, Hoover explained during the Book Bonanza festival in June, "Back when I wrote 'It Ends With Us,' the new adult genre was very popular. You were writing college-age characters. That's what I was contracted to do. I made Lily very young. I didn't know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There's not a 20-something neurosurgeon."
