Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) will play Lily Bloom, the small-town florist in Colleen Hoover‘s beloved and uber-popular novel It Ends With Us. Justin Baldoni will play Ryle, the neurosurgeon she falls for — with, um, complicated results.
Best known for portraying Rafael Solano on the CW series Jane the Virgin, Baldoni also directs. The casting news comes courtesy of Hoover herself, an author who has turned the whole publishing business on its head with her outsize success.
Hoover has created the kind of direct and personal link with her fans that’s usually reserved for the likes of people named Aniston or Kardashian — so it makes sense that Hoover made the announcement.
It also makes sense that people are wildly excited for the film. The casting has celeb fans over the moon. As Real Housewives star Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave says: “Cannot wait for the movie! So happy for you.” Entrepreneur Emily Lyons writes: “WHY AM I BALLING MY EYES OUT!????”
Author Tiffanie DeBartolo writes of the casting news: “This is so beautiful and makes my heart burst with joy!” Another fan tries for the exclamation point record, writing: “This is so heartfelt and also YAY! Blake is my fave!!!!!!!”
Actor Cynthia Samuel Bakri told her million-plus followers that she is: “SCREAMING! CRYING! This is perfect😭❤️” Bakri may be screaming and crying for awhile yet, as Hoover didn’t reveal further information about filming or a release date. Stay tuned.
