It ends with us first captured the hearts of BookTok readers in 2020 during the pandemic. Now that the novel has been adapted into a romance film starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar, viewers might be curious about some major changes between the book and the film.

Written by author Colleen Hoover, It ends with us has sold over 8 million copies and spent 140 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Lively plays Lily Bloom, a woman navigating a complicated love triangle between her first love and her current boyfriend.

When Lily meets charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), she falls deeply in love with him. But she discovers toxic traits in Ryle that remind her of her parents’ abusive relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan (Sklenar), unexpectedly enters her life, Ryle feels threatened by their relationship. Lily must make a difficult decision about her future and who she wants to be with.

ForbesActor Brandon Sklenar on his career and the realization “It ends with us”From Jeff Conway

“Lily has resonated with a tremendous number of people, as the success of the book has made clear,” Lively told People in April 2024. “It’s an honor to step into the shoes of a character who has had such a huge impact. I loved Lily and hope that those who care about her as much as I do, and those who meet her for the first time in this film, feel that love.”

Hoover added that bringing the characters to life was a huge dream. “The cinematic experience adds another layer to the connection readers already have with the characters,” the author explained. “The power of visual storytelling is undeniable and can evoke even stronger emotions and empathy in audiences by adding a sense of immediacy and intensity to the story. I definitely felt that much while watching the adaptation.”

What are the biggest differences between It ends with us Book and film?

Now that It ends with us officially released, there are several key differences between the film and the popular novel, including the age of the characters, the name of Atlas’ restaurant, and the omission of key characters from the book.

The age of the characters

In the book, Lily is 23 and Ryle is 29, in the film both characters are in their mid-30s. Baldoni told Weekly entertainment that when he imagined the film adaptation, he envisaged the characters getting older.

“I wanted women of all ages to be able to see themselves, and I think that having the characters grow older really helps make it a universal story and elevates it out of the young adult genre. I believed from the beginning that Blake Lively was a role model for young women and they would never be considered too old when they saw the film,” explained the actor and director.

The book’s author also defended the aging of the characters. Hoover admitted to Today that she initially made a mistake when she set Ryle’s age at 29 in the novels. “As a writer, we make mistakes,” she said. “There are no 28-year-old neurosurgeons, you know? You go to school for 15 years. And to correct what I had messed up in the book, we made the characters a little older.”

Name of the restaurant Atlas

In the book, Lily becomes close to Atlas again when she visits his restaurant with Ryle and her mother. His place is called Bib’s, an acronym for “Better in Boston,” which is written on the refrigerator magnet he gave her as a teenager.

In the film, however, Atlas’ restaurant is called Root, which is also an homage to Lily and Atlas’ high school romance. “It stood for something in the book that became important to Lily, to show how much she meant to him,” Hoover told E! News. “So in the film it became Root because we didn’t have as much time to fit in all the things that happened in the book.”

The author added that the name change to Root “goes back to a conversation they had in the film as children, which gives you the same feelings as in the book.”

How Lily reacts to the abuse

Lily is physically abused by Ryle on several occasions, including being pushed, shoved down stairs, attacked, and nearly raped. As the book progresses, Lily recognizes Ryle’s violent behavior and warns him each time that if it happens again, she will leave him.

In the film, Lily initially dismisses Ryle’s first two acts of physical violence as accidents. She denies his behavior until later in the film she finally realizes the full extent of the abuse.

Ellen DeGeneres’ commitment

In the book, Lily’s old journals, which are letters to Ellen DeGeneres, play a crucial role in telling the childhood love story of Lily and Atlas. During a difficult time in Atlas’ life, they grew close while watching the popular talk show after school. They often reminded each other to “just keep swimming,” inspired by her Finding Nemo character Dory. Atlas even gave Lily a signed copy of DeGeneres’ memoirs when she was an adult.

However, DeGeneres is completely absent from the film adaptation. It’s worth noting that the comedian’s career and reputation have suffered since the book was published in 2016, after Buzzfeed News reported on the allegedly toxic work environment on the show in 2020. The talk show’s final episode aired in May 2022.

A few characters are missing

Readers of the book may be disappointed that some characters were cut from the film adaptation. These include Devin, Lily’s gay best friend, who makes Ryle jealous by pretending to be her boyfriend. The film also omits Lucy, Lily’s former roommate who later hires her to work at her flower shop. Ryle’s mother and father are also absent from the film. Instead of getting engaged in his parents’ apartment, Ryle proposes to Lily in Allysa’s hospital room shortly after his sister is born.

Watch the official trailer for It ends with us below.