The cast of It Ends with Us is filling out as 1923’s Brandon Skelnar joins the cast of Blake Lively’s adaptation of the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel.
Deadline reports that Skelnar is set to play Atlas Corrigan, the former love interest of Lily Bloom, who will be played by Blake Lively. Once upon a time, Lily and Atlas were high school sweethearts. Years later, Lily has moved away and fallen for neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni).
Lily and Ryle are very much in love until cracks appear in their relationship. Lily, who is 23, might be young but she’s had a difficult life. And when Atlas shows up, it throws Lily’s world upside down. The story tackles very difficult themes of toxic relationships, domestic violence, PTSD and anxiety. Though wildly popular, the book has been criticized for Lily and Ryle’s relationship and the fact that she returns to him despite his issues. However, it is the complexities between Hoover’s characters that draw people toward her books, which are known for complicated themes and relationships.
It Ends With Us quickly rose to the top of the bestseller list after Hoover went viral in the “BookTok” corner of TikTok, quickly gaining over 2 billion views. The book has been translated into 43 languages and was the top selling print book in 2022. Hoover, who already had a massive following, was catapulted into superstardom in the publishing world and she’s now the best-selling author in the US.
The project is a joint endeavor between Wayfarer Studios and Sony Pictures. Hoover and Lively are part of the executive production team along with Baldoni, who will direct the movie. The script has been written by Christy Hall (I Am Not Okay with This), who will also serve as a producer.
Skelnar has enjoyed a busy career as of late, though his role as Spencer Dutton in 1923 has made him a bona fide star. His first role dates back to 2011 when he appeared in the movie Cornered. He portrayed American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the 2018 Mapplethorpe movie. His recent credits include Walker: Independence, Westworld and The Offer, where he portrayed Burt Reynolds.
