Blake Lively's castmates and It Ends With Us author also want 'nothing to do with' director Justin

Blake Lively's castmates and It Ends With Us author also want 'nothing to do with' director Justin

Blake Lively's castmates and It Ends With Us author also want 'nothing to do with' director Justin Baldoni after MAJOR drama on set

The principal cast of It Ends with Us and, Colleen Hoover, the author of the 2016 book the film is based off of, 'will have nothing to do with' director Justin Baldoni.

'All is not what it seems' in regards to Baldoni, 40, who also reportedly clashed with the film's leading star Blake Lively, 36, amid production of the motion picture, a source told People on Monday.

'There is much more to this story,' a source told the outlet. 'The principal cast and Colleen Hoover will have nothing to do with him.'
While the director had 'creative differences' with some of his collaborators on the motion picture, reports of tension while making the film had been 'overblown,' a source close to Baldoni told People Monday.

The source added that Lively 'wants to direct the next movie, sidelining him and securing the rights from Colleen.'
Adding to the speculation about tension between the director and star of the film was Baldoni foregoing taking full cast pictures during the movie's New York City premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on August 6, People reported.

Baldoni was pictured only posing alongside his spouse Emily Baldoni, 40, relatives and producers at the debut of the film.

Baldoni presided over an 'extremely difficult' environment for cast and crew, Page Six reported, quoting multiple sources, noting that Lively was personally 'uncomfortable' amid filming.

A source told the outlet, 'None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin - they certainly didn't talk to him at the premiere.'

Insiders told Page Six that Lively and Baldoni watched the motion picture in 'two separate theaters' at the venue.

Separate insiders told the outlet that Baldoni 'would never intentionally make his cast feel unsupported.'

The hard feelings between Baldoni and Lively could impact future projects in the franchise, as he might not direct a sequel based off Colleen Hoover’s 2022 book It Starts With Us, the follow-up to the current film's source novel, 2016's It Ends With Us.

Baldoni, whose production organization Wayfarer Studios possess the rights to the book, appeared to distance himself from directing a sequel in a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere.
'I think that there are better people for that one - I think Blake Lively's ready to direct, that's what I think,' Baldoni said.

The source added that Baldoni 'failed to consider Blake’s character’s perspective, instead focusing solely on what he believed was the abusive male viewpoint' and that 'his approach was very chauvinistic, creating a tense atmosphere on set.

'Justin almost became the character in the sense that some women on set felt he was borderline abusive to them and that he was unprofessional and unapologetic.'

According to a logline for the film, Lily (Lively) 'overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life, as 'a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship.'

The movie, which also stars Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, finished second at the domestic box office over the weekend with $50 million, and made $80 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.

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