Chances are you’ve seen Blake Lively’s flood of floral looks on the press tour for It Ends With Us, or you’ve at least read Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name (which inspired the film). The story is finally headed to the big screen, and we couldn’t be more excited.

But if you can’t make it out to the theater, never fear: It Ends With Us will be available to stream at home on your television or other electronic device soon enough. Here’s what we know.

What is It Ends With Us about?

The story follows Lily Bloom—played by Lively—the owner of a flower shop struggling to grapple with her dark past while building a future for herself in Boston. There, she falls for Ryle Kincaid (played by director Justin Baldoni), a handsome neurosurgeon, but things begin to sour when Lily realizes she might be caught in the latest iteration of a cycle of abuse. Although her love for Ryle runs deep, she finds herself facing a difficult decision, especially when her first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), reenters her life.

In an interview earlier this month, Lively spoke about taking on the role of Lily, telling Access Hollywood that the character is “a walking, talking contradiction, yet it’s perfectly harmonious for her.” But because Lily is so multifaceted, “you really feel everything she feels,” the actor added.

Baldoni, on the other hand, was moved by Hoover’s 2016 novel after his agent first gave it to him in 2019. “It was sexy, and it was romantic and mysterious. By the end, I was sobbing real snot tears,” he told Variety.

His vision for the film required aging up the characters, which upset some fans of the book—in the novel, Lily is supposed to be just out of college. But in a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Baldoni explained, “I just knew from the beginning, the type of movie I wanted to make was not about a 23-year-old girl. I wanted women of all ages to be able to see themselves, and aging up the characters, I think, really helps it become a universal story.”

And by aging Lily, Baldoni wanted to prove that it wasn’t simple naivete or romantic inexperience that led her to Ryle, and that abuse can happen to anyone regardless of their age, status, or experience. He also aimed to subvert stereotypes with Ryle’s character, telling Variety, “He’s not this mustache-twirling bad guy; he’s a guy with deep pain and deep trauma who makes terrible decisions that are never acceptable or excusable in any situation.”

When and where will the film be streaming?

As of August 9, It Ends with Us is now playing in theaters. There is no official release date for the film to hit streaming services, but it will most likely head to Netflix after its theater run, because of the streamer’s partnership with Sony, the movie’s distributor.

Lettermark
Maya Ernest
Weekend news editor

Maya Ernest is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to features that investigate personal style, social media trends, and thoughtful consumption.