Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni film steamy scene in photos from 'It Ends With Us' set

CoHorts will have to wait a little bit longer to see the film adaptation of "It Ends With Us," Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel.

The release date for the film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has been pushed back from Feb. 9 to June 21, Sony confirmed to TODAY.com on Jan. 11.

The next day, Lively and Baldoni were out and about filming the upcoming movie, and photos from the Jersey City set preview a passionate kiss scene between their characters.

In one pic from Jan. 12, the actors appear to talk in public, with distressed expressions.

In another, Lively holds Baldoni's face close to hers. The pair also share a kiss.

Then in another set of photos, Lively, with fiery red hair, pushes a child in a swing.

While BookTok, the reading community on TikTok, has known of their love for Hoover's romance novel for years, Hollywood is now set to discover Hoover's work for the first time this summer. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming film.

Who has been cast in 'It Ends With Us'?

Lively, the 36-year-old former "Gossip Girl" star, will portray Lily Bloom in the film. In the book, Lily is a 23-year-old floral shop owner who falls in love with 30-year-old neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid.

Hoover discussed her surprise with Lively's casting during a panel at Book Bonanza in Grapevine, Texas, in 2023, as she has been a longtime fan of the actor.

"I didn’t believe it … I have been obsessed with Blake Lively since 'Gossip Girl' days — I’m just a huge fan of hers, and of course of her husband," she said, referring to Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds.

Justin Baldoni, 39, directs the film and is set to play Ryle. As for Lily's other love interest, "Yellowstone" spinoff "1923" star Brandon Sklenar will portray her childhood crush, Atlas Corrigan.

"SNL" alum Jenny Slate will appear as Ryle's sister Allysa Kincaid, and comedian Hasan Minhaj will play Marshall, Allysa's husband, according to Deadline.

What is 'It Ends With Us' about?

"It Ends With Us" took off as a TikTok sensation during the pandemic, and videos posted under the #itendswithus tag on the app have since accumulated more than 3 billion views.

Hoover's books are also among the most popular on the planet — in 2022, she sold more than 8.6 million print copies of her books, according to Circana Bookscan.

"It Ends With Us" centers around the love story between Lily and Ryle, and deals with themes of domestic violence and the cycle of violence.

Lily grew up with an abusive father and Ryle becomes violent during their marriage, but a surprise encounter with Atlas, years after she had last seen him, offers her a potential escape.

Hoover told TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager in 2023 the story was inspired, in part, by her mother and biological father.

"One of my earliest memories was him throwing a TV at her," she said. "We grew up in an abusive household up to that point."

Hoover's mother divorced her father when she was 2, Hoover said. "From then on, I just remember growing up with a mother who was so strong and independent," she added.

Hoover’s dedicated fan base, known as CoHorts, are devoted to the book, as it was written. But critics of the novel have said the book glorifies domestic violence, while others argued Hoover shouldn’t have written about domestic violence at all.

Hoover told Jenna in 2023 her readers’ stories outweigh any criticism.

“It’s been very heartwarming to read how much the book has helped people, and that my mother’s story has actually given strength to other women to be able to leave their situations. It’s a wonderful thing that I’m excited to see on the screen. I also hope that it has the same effect that the book has had,” Hoover said of the upcoming film.

Why are the characters' ages and costumes controversial?

The criticism doesn’t end with the content of the book. When the "It Ends With Us" casting was announced, devoted fans were quick to point out that Lively's and Baldoni's ages don't match up with the ages of the characters in the book.

Speaking at Book Bonanza in 2023, Hoover addressed the age discrepancy — and explained that she was able to correct a mistake she had made while writing the book.

"Back when I wrote 'It Ends With Us,' the new adult (genre) was very popular. You were writing college-age characters. That’s what I was contracted to do. I made Lily very young. I didn’t know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There’s not a 20-something neurosurgeon," she said.

"As I started making this movie, I’m like, we need to age them out, because I messed up," she added. "So that’s my fault."

And as paparazzi photos began to hit the internet when the movie started filming in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2023, CoHorts did not appear to love the outfits Lively was seen in.

At Book Bonanza, Hoover said she "loves" the conversation the photos generated because it means that everyone "cares."

"I don’t remember describing outfits at all. I don’t care what they have on. In my head, it’s about the conversation they’re having and the story. It’s the same way in the movie," she said.

Hoover also asked her fans to have patience, and that she's "extremely happy" with the film.

"You’ve seen a couple of outfits that are completely out of context. I’m not worried about it," she said.

When does 'It Ends With Us' come out?

"It Ends With Us" will premiere in theaters on June 21, according to Sony.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com