Try as we may to be normal about it, humans are eternally weird about movie casts and their offscreen relationships. There is something so infantile about our brains that we cannot believe those co-stars who act like friends - or, better yet, like lovers - could ever hate each other when the camera stops rolling.
And our latest obsession? It Ends With Us, the Blake Lively film which is directed by Justin Baldoni and based on the controversial Colleen Hoover novel of the same name.
According to netizens, this film’s jarring press tour is quickly sending it down a Don’t Worry Darling-esque path, with rumoured feuds and rifts among the casts.
In case you forgot, this is all very reminscent of Olivia Wilde’s sophmore directorial effort, Don’t Worry Darling, which was laced with drama from day dot. First, there was the divisive inclusion of Shia LaBeouf in the casting. Then there was the budding off-screen relationship between Wilde and Harry Styles.
Then Florence Pugh was notably absent from a significant amount of press tour outings for the film, culminating in her turning up late to Venice Film Festival for the film’s premiere with an Aperol Spritz in hand.
And finally, in the crescendo heard around the world, a misleading video appeared to show Harry Styles spitting on Chris Pine at the premiere, something that was eventually cleared up as completely false. But it didn’t matter: the internet was alight like a forest fire.
As for It Ends With Us, there’s less concrete evidence of any drama, but internet-dwellers have picked up on some strange coincidences. Firstly, none of the film’s main cast follow its director, Justin Baldoni - aka Rafael from Jane the Virgin - on Instagram, despite him following all of them.
Secondly, much of the press tour has kept the actors separate from each other, with very few paired interviews taking place. Then, at the New York premiere this Tuesday, 6 August, few of the cast were pictured together, and the pre-screening announcement appeared to be made only by Blake Lively and Colleen Hoover, whereas usually the entire cast is invited on stage.
And finally, Jenny Slate sparked interest in the off-screen dynamics when a journalist asked her a question about working with Justin Baldoni, only for Slate to change the subject.
i just found out about the whole 'it ends with us' cast drama and omg they asked her what it was like to work with justin and she completely ignored the question 💀 pic.twitter.com/2DdlmvxS4x
— leah doesn't do cocaine (@camis_unicorn) August 7, 2024
“What was that like, having [Baldoni] be director but also scene partner?” the journalist asks, to which Slate responds, “I mean what an intense job, like to have to do so many things, I just found myself being like ‘Wow I really just wanna have one job at once,’ and in fact I’ve often felt that way like I really like writing and I like it so much and its special to be able to be a writer but like... I was looking around just being like ‘Yeah I’m good with just acting.’”
Which could mean nothing! Regardless, X and Reddit users are captivated, and keeping tabs on every bit of evidence they can get. And with the film set for release tomorrow, 9 August, we’ll see if we get a spitgate-style cresendo after all.
