Brandon Sklenar has some strong feelings about the drama surrounding his new movie “It Ends with Us.”
The movie is based on a book by Colleen Hoover and includes themes of domestic violence. Some have questioned the way the film and subsequent publicity campaign handled the sensitive topic. There has also been reported tension between director/star Justin Baldoni and producer/star Blake Lively.
Brandon wrote on Instagram, “Hey everyone, I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online.”
He continued, “Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is in fact the opposite of the point.”
Brandon went on, “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”
He insisted that all involved were “aware of the responsibility we had in making this.”
The actor went on, “A responsibility to all women who have experienced generational trauma — domestic abuse — or struggle with looking in the mirror and loving who they see.”
He called the film a “harsh reality check for the men who need to get their sh*t together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.”
Sklenar said the film is meant to “build courage” and “spread love and awareness,” not “make women the ‘bad guy.’”
He closed, in part, by saying, “Let’s be part of something better together.”
“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi just spoke with Brandon, Blake, and castmates Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter about making the film.
Asking about any hesitations they may have had going into it, Blake said, "To me, it was a no-brainer. Colleen just laid out such a beautiful and clear road map for Lily's journey. I completely understood why she made the decisions that she made. And it was really important to me to be able to bring to life a character who was both strong and vulnerable, who was both passionate and passive, who was masculine and feminine, who was fabulous and grounded. I just really wanted to show that she wasn't any one thing. She was a person who had lived a lot of life, who had a lot of life experience, and was still susceptible to not seeing something she should see, given her past and her history."
She added, “You feel the honesty and authenticity in all of our characters.”
Brandon also told Mona at the premiere that he was open to being in the sequel "It Starts with Us." He said, "I would love to do it. That book is incredible, and to see that side of Atlas would be something I'd love to explore."
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