Colleen Hoover would like to see Lily Bloom and Atlas Corrigan return to the big screen, but the decision to make another It Ends With Us movie is not hers.
“If they decide to make another one, I’m all for it,” Hoover told Variety while promoting the upcoming adaptation of Verity.
The obvious source material is It Starts With Us, Hoover’s 2022 follow-up to her bestselling novel. The book continues Lily’s story after her marriage to Ryle and gives a much larger role to her relationship with Atlas.
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and Brandon Sklenar played Lily, Ryle and Atlas in the commercially successful 2024 adaptation. No sequel movie has been announced, despite the first film earning more than $351 million worldwide.
Hoover Does Not Own the Film Rights to the Sequel
“I mean, I don’t own the rights to the film sequel,” Hoover told Variety before expressing her support for another movie.
Baldoni acquired the film rights connected to Hoover’s books before directing and starring in It Ends With Us. Entertainment Weekly reports that he owns the film rights to It Starts With Us, leaving Hoover unable to greenlight an adaptation herself.
Baldoni had already appeared uncertain about returning as director when the first film opened in 2024. Asked about directing a sequel at the time, he suggested that Lively would be better suited to take over the job.
The possibility became more complicated after Lively and Baldoni became involved in an extended legal dispute following the film’s release. Their remaining claims were settled in May 2026, but no plans for It Starts With Us have subsequently been announced.
Hoover Says She Is Still Proud of ‘It Ends With Us’
Hoover said the legal fallout has not changed how she feels about the movie itself. She saw the completed film before learning about the problems developing behind the scenes and said she remains proud of the work by Lively, Baldoni and Sklenar.
“I think they did a great job,” she told Variety, adding that she tries to focus on the finished film and the audience response rather than everything that followed its release.
It Ends With Us earned $351.4 million worldwide, including approximately $148.5 million in North America.
Hoover is now promoting another major adaptation of her work. Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, is scheduled to arrive in theaters in October.
‘It Starts With Us’ Continues Lily and Atlas’ Story
It Starts With Us picks up after Lily has separated from Ryle and follows her as she reconnects with Atlas while navigating her continuing responsibilities as a co-parent.
Hoover’s official description identifies it as the second and final book in the series. The story alternates between Lily and Atlas’ perspectives and reveals more about Atlas’ life before the events of the first novel.
Ryle remains part of the story, but Atlas moves much closer to the center of the narrative than he was in It Ends With Us.
As of Sept. 25, no director, cast, production schedule or release date has been announced for a film adaptation of It Starts With Us.