Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us’ Becomes a Box Office Sensation

Colleen Hoover’s “It Ends With Us” Shines in Theaters

Colleen Hoover’s poignant novel “It Ends With Us” has captivated readers and has now transcended to the silver screen, becoming a box office sensation. The film, produced by Sony Pictures on a modest budget of $25 million, is projected to rake in at least $45 million across the United States and Canada, according to box office analysts.

Starring Blake Lively, the film is adapted from Hoover’s most acclaimed book, which originally hit shelves in 2016. However, it surged back into the spotlight during the pandemic in 2021, spending an impressive 140 weeks on the best-seller list. The book’s popularity has been significantly amplified by social media, particularly TikTok, leading to over 8 million copies sold globally. The narrative delves into a complex love triangle intertwined with themes of domestic violence, resonating with a wide audience.

The timing of the film’s release is particularly strategic, as there has been a noticeable lack of content aimed at female viewers in the current cinematic landscape. This stands in stark contrast to last summer’s blockbuster, “Barbie,” which grossed a staggering $1.4 billion worldwide. Sony Pictures capitalized on this gap with an effective social media marketing campaign that prominently featured Lively, alongside appearances by her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and support from her friend Taylor Swift, who contributed the evocative song “My Tears Ricochet” for both the film and its trailer.

On its opening day alone, the PG-13 rated film garnered an impressive $24 million, as audiences flocked to witness Lively’s portrayal of a florist with a tumultuous past who becomes entangled with a charming yet abusive neurosurgeon, played by Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film.

The film’s success is a much-needed boost for the box office, which has seen a decline of approximately 15 percent compared to the same time last year. According to David A. Gross, a film consultant who tracks box office trends, “Pure romance is not typically a major box office draw, but occasionally, the right story based on a beloved book, combined with a well-cast female lead, can ignite significant interest.”

While critics have had mixed reactions to the film, with The New York Times describing it as “fitfully diverting, at times touching, often ridiculous and, at 2 hours and 10 minutes, almost offensively long,” audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. The film currently boasts a 94 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an impressive exit score of A- from CinemaScore.

Despite its strong opening, the film is expected to finish just shy of the No. 1 spot for the weekend, as Reynolds’s blockbuster “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” continues to dominate the box office, on track to surpass the $500 million mark soon.

In contrast, the Lionsgate adaptation of the popular video game “Borderlands” is struggling to find its footing. Despite a star-studded cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, it is anticipated to earn only in the single digits, marking a significant misstep for the $115 million sci-fi comedy directed by Eli Roth.