Blake Lively is speaking directly to fans of End with us. ET’s Denny Directo spoke exclusively with the actress on Friday, and she revealed why fans of Collen HooverThe beloved book’s must be excited, not nervous, about the upcoming film adaptation she’ll star alongside Justin Baldoni.
“Some people will always like a book more than a movie and some people will like a movie more than a book, but I think we did our best to honor the book and honor the fans, and, I think, really make something that works on its own,” Lively told ET at Book Bonanza, the book convention that Hoover started with her sisters, Lin and Murphy.
“If you don’t know the book, the movie works. I don’t think there’s any way not to be moved if you read the book and see the movie. added. “I also believe that if you saw the movie and then read the book, you wouldn’t say, ‘Wait a minute, that’s not like (the other one).’ You can do either. I think they’re both really beautiful.”
Hoover agreed, telling ET, “Readers tend to always want to read the book first. I completely understand that, but I feel like this adaptation stayed so faithful to the book that it’s really either/or whichever you prefer. I’ll be happy if you watch the film and then read the book or vice versa.”
The film and book follow Lily Bloom’s (Lively) volatile relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) amid the reappearance of her first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), in her life. The story is based on Hoover’s parents’ relationship.
“This is the book that means the most to me. I’ve tried adapting other books and it didn’t work out. I’ve been praying for four or five years for this to happen, so it just means a lot to me,” Hoover said. “This book is personal to me, so seeing it on screen (is meaningful). I watched it for the first time with my mom, who inspired the story, so words can’t express how amazing this whole book is. experience is.”
Knowing this, and knowing the support readers gave Hoover to tell the personal story, Lively said connecting with fans is “the most important part” of the film.
“Colleen, she has a very dedicated fan base. (She was) initially self-published, so she’s someone who fans really created the success of their stories around,” Lively said. “She wrote stories that resonated with people and didn’t use all the traditional mediums that people use. She went directly to the people she was talking to and they spoke out in droves.”
In It ends with us Specifically, Lively added, “This story has resonated with so many people, so there’s a huge responsibility that comes with it.”
“You want to honor this book and this character that people love so much, but you also want to bring to it a life and a humanity that is true to who you are,” she said. “There are a lot of different things you want to accomplish in this story.”
“I’m so proud of this film,” Lively continued. “I’m so proud to be here and share this with Colleen and the fans. It’s really special. It was such an honor to face Lily, and I’m so proud.”
End with us will hit theaters on August 9th.
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