What’s going on behind the scenes?
Signs of potential discord emerged during the film’s press tour, when Baldoni appeared isolated from the main cast. He posed alone on the red carpet, or with those uninvolved with the movie, and conducted solo interviews. Conversely, Lively, who also co-executive produced the film, was photographed with multiple co-stars, including Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate.
An interview with Slate fuelled speculation after the actress awkwardly avoided answering a question about what it was like to work with Baldoni as both director and scene partner. Further, it appears none of the main cast (except Hasan Minhaj, a comedian who has a supporting role) follow Baldoni on the platform, while he follows them all.
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There have also been whispers of creative differences within the team. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lively commissioned a different cut of the movie from Deadpool & Wolverine editor Shane Reid. However, it’s unclear if that was used.
How is Deadpool involved?
At the New York premiere last week, Lively told E! News her husband Ryan Reynolds, star of the recent Deadpool & Wolverine movie, helped write parts of the It Ends With Us screenplay, including the “iconic rooftop scene”. Notably, the film’s screenwriter Christy Hall told People she wasn’t aware Reynolds had worked on the dialogue.
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This led to rumours Lively and Reynolds wrenched creative control from Baldoni, fracturing their relationship. Others also questioned whether the couple were attempting to create a “Barbenheimer 2.0” given the close release dates and combined marketing efforts of It Ends With Us and Deadpool & Wolverine, and if so, whether this was appropriate for a movie about domestic violence.
What could this ultimately mean for the movie?
Despite mixed reviews, Don’t Worry Darling – which was also rocked by behind-the-scenes scandals – grossed nearly $132 million worldwide, largely propelled by intrigue over the backstage controversies. But despite its strong first week, ticket sales declined by 63 per cent in week two, and continued to drop as fascination with the cast dwindled.
It Ends With Us could follow a similar trajectory, initially boosted by gossip, but unable to maintain momentum as speculation dies down. Rumours aside, the film was arguably always in murky territory. But for now, it seems the speculation surrounding It Ends With Us is drowning out the flaws of the film itself.
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