It has been quite the weekend for the movie It Ends With Us, dominating the box office and stirring up discussions across the industry, all thanks to its captivating premise and its connection to Colleen Hoover's beloved novel. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics—scoring only 59% on Rotten Tomatoes—the flick has raked in impressive earnings, raising eyebrows about how it managed to succeed where many others have faltered.
The film, featuring Blake Lively as Lily Bloom and Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid, showcases Lily’s struggle with childhood trauma and her tumultuous relationship with Ryle, who, as the story reveals, is reminiscent of her abusive father. The emotional layers woven throughout the narrative resonate deeply with audiences, particularly female viewers and dedicated fans of Hoover.
Released on August 9, It Ends With Us opened to significant box office success, grossing around $50 million across 3,611 venues just during its first weekend. This astounding number surpassed initial projections of $23 to $30 million, showcasing its appeal. It’s remarkable to think how quickly the movie has eclipsed its $25 million production budget, earning more than three times its budget within only three days of its launch.
So what contributed to this surprising financial success? Analysts point out several factors. Female audiences and fans of Colleen Hoover play pivotal roles, as she has amassed millions of loyal readers, particularly appealing to the demographic of young women. Her books have sold well—It Ends With Us alone has sold over one million copies worldwide and has been translated across more than 20 languages.
This film is not just for fans of the novel, though. The reception within the cinema sector hints at a growing market for films targeting female audiences. Following the massive success of movies like Barbie, industry insiders are starting to recognize the potential of this demographic. This shift could herald the dawn of more female-centered narratives finding their way onto the silver screen, which, historically, have often been overlooked.
Interestingly, Blake Lively's star power also plays its part. Although the era of A-list stars guaranteeing box office hits is fading, Lively's previous successes and her strong presence on social media have undoubtedly increased interest around this film. Known for her role on Gossip Girl and her talents seen previously in films like A Simple Favor, she's been at the forefront of pop culture, partially bolstered by her real-life connection with fellow star Ryan Reynolds. Speculation about her appearance as the Ladypool variant from Deadpool & Wolverine could have drawn additional attention to her performance as well.
More fascinating is the point raised about how mixed reviews impact box office performance. Generally, public perception often hinges significantly on critic scores. Yet, as evidenced by It Ends With Us, audiences appear to be increasingly inclined to make their own decisions about movies, especially ones with devoted fan bases like Hoover’s. Romantic dramas usually encounter mixed to negative critical receptions, but the passion of fans for these stories, preferring to see them interpreted on-screen, leads them to the theaters regardless of what critics say.
For example, with more than $80 million amassed just from domestic viewings, and strong recommendations coming from those who attended the premier showings, it appears likely It Ends With Us will continue on its upward trend at the box office. Projections suggest it could surpass the $100 million mark domestically, with potential global earnings well over $200 million. This growing momentum indicates the movie's strong legs, which would have parallels with other successful launches this summer like Deadpool & Wolverine.
Compounding its success is the high anticipation for the sequel to the original novel, titled It Starts With Us, released by Hoover last year. Considering the movie's strong performance, many expect the film adaptation for the sequel could be announced soon, extending the story of Lily Bloom and her emotional upheavals.
Strikingly, It Ends With Us has outperformed another recent release, Borderlands, which could be analyzed as reflective of audience preferences. Borderlands, based on the popular video game, opened poorly, earning only $8.8 million and landing at fourth place. Meanwhile, films like It Ends With Us thrive by fostering emotional connections and focusing on themes not often explored at this scale.
The buzz surrounding It Ends With Us offers rich insight for studios and filmmakers, highlighting the importance of recognizing diverse audiences. The film has propelled conversations around representation and emotional storytelling and indicated where the industry might be headed as films begin to reflect more authentic and varied experiences.
At the end of the day, the unexpected success of It Ends With Us suggests something rather exciting about modern filmmaking. Perhaps it serves as inspiration for upcoming projects: there's merit—and profit—in storylines appealing primarily to women. Applauded by preacher Colleen Hoover's readership, supported by familial intimacy, and carried by Lively's star power, It Ends With Us might just be leading the charge for how love stories will evolve on screen. If this trend holds, it may signal new horizons for filmmakers willing to explore complex emotional narratives catered to audiences often set aside by greater blockbuster fare.
