EXCLUSIVE: JUSTIN BALDONI EYES ‘IT ENDS WITH US’ SEQUEL — EVEN WITHOUT BLAKE LIVELY

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Justin Baldoni may finally be closing the chapter on the It Ends With Us drama — but insiders say he has no intention of walking away from the franchise.

Sources tell Naughty But Nice that, now the bitter legal battle with Blake Lively has been settled, Baldoni is quietly exploring a path forward for It Starts With Us, the sequel to the blockbuster Colleen Hoover adaptation.

Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios still controls the rights to the follow-up, and sources say the mood behind the scenes has shifted dramatically.

“Justin finally feels like he can breathe again,” one insider says. “For months, it was nonstop lawsuits, backlash, and crisis management. Now he’s focused on rebuilding.”

During the legal war, the sequel’s future looked increasingly bleak.

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“People genuinely thought the franchise was dead,” another source reveals. “Studios were nervous. Producers didn’t know if the sequel had become too toxic to touch.”

But insiders say the settlement has reopened conversations about continuing the series.

“Justin still believes in these stories and believes audiences are ready to move on,” a source says. “He thinks the focus can finally return to the movies instead of the drama.”

Whether Blake Lively would ever return remains unclear, though sources say it appears unlikely. Still, Baldoni is keeping the door open.

“Justin would work with Blake again if it helped save the franchise,” an insider says. “He’s not interested in revenge. He just wants to make movies again.”

Cheers
Rob Shuter

And remember… if you’re going to be naughty, you’ve got to be nice. 💋