Blake Lively has approved the final cut of “It Ends With Us” after clashing with director and co-star Justin Baldoni, Page Six reports.
According to multiple sources, the actress felt it was important to bring a more “feminine” touch to the final film, and helped shape the version that moviegoers saw on screen.
The new movie grossed $50 million in its opening weekend.
Lively, 36, was a producer on the project, which was adapted from Colleen Hoover’s best-selling book. A studio source told Page Six, “There were two rounds of edits, and the studio went with the more feminine version.”
However, sources close to the production with knowledge of the situation denied this, with another studio source saying, “As a producer, Blake was given the opportunity to make edits and provide feedback on the film. It’s quite normal for a film to have multiple edits.”
“Sony went with the cut they felt was the best, which was the cut that included Blake’s edit, and everyone involved was in favor of it.”
Page Six previously revealed that Baldoni made Blake feel “uncomfortable,” specifically about her post-baby body after giving birth to her fourth child, son Orin, shortly before filming began.
The pair haven’t promoted the film together and weren’t even spotted posing together at the film’s New York premiere last week, where they were even reportedly seated in different theaters.
Baldoni, 40, acknowledged there were problems on set, telling Elle UK magazine: “There’s always friction on set and things happen every day and when you’re making a film like this.”
“And at the end of the day, I believe that friction is what creates beautiful art. We all need friction in order to grow in life.”
Lively said she contributed to nearly every aspect of “It Ends With Us,” including input into the music, costumes, dialogue and more.
She also revealed that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, wrote one of the most important scenes in the movie: “The iconic rooftop scene was actually written by my husband,” she told E! News.
In a recent interview with UK’s Hits Radio, Lively also admitted that she “begged them” to remove the Lana Del Rey song “Cherry” from the film, saying, “I’m not going to talk about it…”
Baldoni bought the rights to the book through his production company Wayfarer in 2019. The deal reportedly also included rights to Hoover’s sequel, “It Starts With Us.”
The film was a huge box office success, but when asked about the possibility of returning to direct a sequel, Baldoni told Entertainment Tonight, “I think there’s someone better suited for that movie. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s my opinion.”
We have reached out to representatives for Lively and Baldoni for comment.
