Blake Lively Spotted Kissing Co-Star Justin Baldoni While Filming New Project

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were seen sharing some passionate kisses last month while filming their new movie It Ends with Us. Baldoni is the director and co-star of this hotly-anticipated romance, while Lively plays the protagonist Lily Bloom. Judging by their chemistry in set photos, fans will likely be satisfied with the way this movie turns out.

Photos of Lively and Baldoni kissing, holding hands and staring into each others' eyes have made the rounds on social media in January, but fans don't have to worry about their respective marriages. They have been filming It Ends With Us in Jersey City, New Jersey on sets that are apparently open to photographers. Some shots look like candids but others clearly show camera crews and the trappings of a film set.

It Ends With Us is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel by the same name. It tells the story of Lilly Bloom, a recent college graduate trying to get her own floral shop off the ground while also grieving for her recently-deceased father. She gradually winds up in a relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), which takes a dark turn.

The story is further complicated by the reintroduction of Lily's high school sweetheart Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). He makes Ryle jealous and seems to amplify Ryle's more violent tendencies. However, Atlas' attempts to help Lily also leave her feeling confused and conflicted.

The book is a lauded bestseller, so it's no surprise that a film adaptation is in the works. Baldoni himself optioned the novel for a movie through his production company, Wayfarer Entertainment in 2019. The screenplay was written by Christy Hall. Filming began in New Jersey in May of 2023, though it paused over the summer due to the Hollywood labor strikes. It resumed on Jan. 5.

Those work stoppages already forced the movie's release date to move from this month to June of 2024. However, with just a few months to shoot and edit, it will still be a tight fit to finish the movie by then.

The film adaptation is expected to have some significant changes from the source material – particularly the ages of the main characters. While Lily and Ryle are both in their 20s in the book, Hoover told fans that she has since learned more about how neurosurgeons are trained and agreed to age them up in the movie. That's how stars like Lively and Baldoni were chosen. Other cast members include Alex Neustaedter, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj.

It Ends With Us is filming now and is expected to premiere on June 21, 2024 only in theaters. Hoover's book is available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.