Hollywood's Messy Movie: It Ends With Us

The film "It Ends With Us" was supposed to be a big win for everyone involved. Based on a popular novel, it had a modest budget of $25 million and was expected to be a hit. But things went wrong. The movie ended up costing a lot more than expected, and it was a nightmare for Sony Pictures. The studio was caught in the middle of a fight between the lead actress, Blake Lively, and the director, Justin Baldoni. Lively was married to Ryan Reynolds, and Baldoni was the director of the movie. The fight started over creative control and escalated into a big mess. Lively had concerns about inappropriate behavior on set. She called Sony's production executive, Ange Giannetti, to report her concerns. Giannetti tried to help, but Lively was worried that the production company, Wayfarer Studios, wouldn't take action. Wayfarer was run by Baldoni and Jamey Heath, the two men Lively had concerns about. Giannetti relayed Lively's concerns to Wayfarer, but Lively didn't file a formal complaint. Instead, she made a list of 17 demands that Baldoni and Heath had to sign if she was to return to work. Sony's legal team advised Wayfarer to sign the list, but they also reminded them to deny the allegations without escalating the situation. The demands included things like no more mention of genitalia and no more discussions about sex. Lively also wanted Sony to send Giannetti to the set and hire an "A-list" veteran producer to represent the studio. Todd Black was later hired for this role. Giannetti texted Lively to say she was glad Todd was on board and offered to help. But the demands kept growing. When the shoot resumed, there were no more incidents, but another saga was about to unfold. Baldoni was concerned that Lively would use the 30-point document against him. He agreed to let her have time in the editing room with him. But Lively didn't show up for the second day. Then, in April 2024, Sony informed Wayfarer that Lively wanted solo time in the room with her own editor. Wayfarer relented, and Lively worked on her cut while Baldoni proceeded with his. Lively called it the "Sony cut, " but Baldoni and Wayfarer contended otherwise. They said that Sony did not have a studio cut; rather, Wayfarer and Sony shared a studio cut. But Lively used her promotional efforts to secure the final cut. Creative control became an issue again in late April 2024. Heath was outraged when Lively requested to bring creative collaborators into the editing room. A Sony executive said it would be made clear that Lively would also need Wayfarer's approval for any such involvement. But in this instance, Sony held firm. Wayfarer was told that someone higher-up on the food chain spoke with Lively. She dropped the demand regarding additional collaborators.

Sony soon had to manage another problem. A Sony marketing executive told Wayfarer that Lively was refusing to sign off on a trailer unless Wayfarer exempted her from signing long overdue paperwork. Sony was particularly concerned that Lively would change her mind about reaching out to best friend Taylor Swift to secure the release of "My Tears Ricochet" for the trailer. When Heath refused to acquiesce, the Sony marketing executive delivered a sharp and pointed warning: "You don't want to play ball—you are going to delay and greatly hurt the movie. Good luck. Finish director cut and we can have multiple previews down the road. " Wayfarer acquiesced, but the idea of releasing the cut which tested best became moot. By June, the coup was complete: Sony called Wayfarer to say that neither Lively nor any of the cast would promote the film unless Lively's cut was used. Baldoni was forced to choose between killing the film or firing himself as director and allow Lively to finish his film. He concluded it was his only choice. And when her cut of the film screened at the book convention Book Bonanza in June 2023 before more than 3, 500 people, the ecstatic response lit up social media. A Sony exec wrote Lively that he hadn't seen that sort of response since working on a hit Marvel film years earlier. Even then, Sony wasn't done playing mediator. Tensions stayed inflamed regarding other demands throughout the summer over a number of issues, including when Lively asked Sony to have Wayfarer submit letters to the PGA explaining all the work she had done. Lively instructed Sony to tell Wayfarer and Baldoni that "any good will left between us is done" if the letters weren't sent. Heath and Baldoni did so, but also sent a letter to their Wayfarer lawyers saying they were signing under duress. Sony also had to deliver the news that Lively was asking that his "film by" credit be removed from a secondary poster for the film. In this case, Sony said he would have to sign a waiver stating he was forgoing his right for a "film by" credit on the poster, which he did. Lively's cut, with Baldoni listed as the director, was released in theaters and became an outsized success for a troubled film that cost only $25 million to make, opening to north of $50 million and in second place behind her husband's film Deadpool & Wolverine, making it the first time since 1990 that two movies starring a married couple topped the box office. "Blake $5-m dollars! ! Your blood sweat tears brilliant smarts heart and soul in every single frame. My God. It's incredible. Thank you 50m times and it's only Sat night, " emailed Sony's Giannetti over opening weekend. No one, and not even Baldoni, will say officially how much of his cut was put back into Lively's cut. Baldoni's editors told him they heard a substantial part had, or at least those parts that tested so well with target audiences. Yet within only few short days, the stunning success of It Ends With Us was overshadowed by headlines as details emerged about the Lively-Baldoni feud. This was followed by the legal battle sparked over Christmas when Lively sued Baldoni and then Wayfarer saying she's stolen the movie away from Baldoni.

Actions