Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Tony Vinciquerra recently praised Blake Lively for her awareness campaign against domestic violence in the movie It Ends With Us. He also celebrated author Colleen Hoover and the female colleagues behind the film.
Even though many online users criticized Lively for not taking domestic violence seriously as shown in the film during the promotional tour, she continues to have strong backing from Sony Pictures. Tony Vinciquerra, the Chair-CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, emphasized that Lively, Hoover, and the other women involved in the project put in significant effort to address this sensitive topic appropriately. The film has garnered positive reactions from viewers, and Lively’s commitment to fostering conversations about domestic violence has earned her accolades. He also suggested that there may be more collaborations with Lively in the future.
Vinciquerra said to The Hollywood Reporter, “Blake, Colleen and so many women put so much effort into this remarkable movie, working selflessly from the start to ensure that such an important subject matter was handled with care. Audiences love the movie.”
He continued, “Blake’s passion and commitment to advancing the conversation around domestic violence is commendable. We love working with Blake, and we want to do 12 more movies with her.”
In mid-June, Lively made a surprise appearance at Hoover’s Book Bonanza in Dallas where she broke news to over 2000 attendees that they will have an opportunity of viewing a rough-cut version of the movie on the following day. This was a significant promotional step for Sony because it represented a premiere of Wayfarer Studios’ first adaption of one of Hoover’s bestsellers.
The film is directed by Justin Baldoni who is also one of its main actors. Baldoni did not attend the Dallas event. However, according to reports, what was displayed on that night was supposedly Lively’s choice edit.
By August 9th when It Ends With Us opened, tensions between Baldoni and Lively were evident on social media as fans took sides based on rumors about problems during production. Reports suggested that there were disagreements between the two regarding certain scenes and edits in the film. Additionally, Baldoni was noticeably missing from the group photos taken at the New York premiere alongside Lively, Hoover, and other cast members.
It Ends With Us follows Lily Bloom (Lively) who starts afresh in Boston after a horrible childhood where she watched her father beat up her mother. Lily goes onto pursue her entrepreneurship dreams until she falls for neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), whose conduct reminds of painful events that characterized relationships between parents. When Atlas Corrigan (played by Brandon Sklenar), her first love returns into Lily’s life, she is again confronted with her past and must make a tough choice about what direction to take in life.
Sony decided to focus marketing efforts on redemption rather than victimhood as presented in Hoover’s book. This was re-emphasized by Lively at the New York premiere of the film, where she told survivors they were more than what they went through during their difficult times. She noted that though traumatic experiences are significant but they do not define who one is; people have control over their lives as characterized by personal stories of survival.
Notwithstanding the behind-the-scenes tensions, It Ends With Us outperformed everybody’s expectations in theaters and has already made $50 million domestically during its opening weekend. The film has already grossed over $100 million globally, surpassing its production budget of $25 million.
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