Blake Lively is a timeless beauty, but even her casting has not gone uncriticized. The mother of four bounced back to work soon after giving birth to her 4th child. Her last movie was A Simple Favor in 2018, a thriller drama that excited her fans. Now, years afterward, she is set to bring back her magic in a flick picked from a novel, only to be boo-ed by the book fans.

She will be cast opposite Five Feet Apart actor Justin Baldoni as they romance for the upcoming drama It Ends With Us. The casting recieved much hate and criticism but the author of the source novel, Colleen Hoover, is now giving clarification over their casting choices, and the reason behind them.

Why Colleen Hoover stands by Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s casting

If game and book adaptations have taught us anything, it is that it’s important to stick to the primary source as much as possible. However, the novelist of the 2016 book It Ends With Us clarified that it was her mistake that led to the confusion. “We need to age them out because I messed up,” she revealed to Today.

The characters that she wrote in the book were ages 23 and 30. Yet, the actors’ actual ages are 35 and 39 in real.

When writing the book, the novelist did not realize that the characters are too young to be neurosurgeons. It was only during the actual movie shoot that she realized that her description of the characters was flawed. As for the cast members, she is extremely happy to have the Gossip Girl actress as a part of the story she wrote. The author has been a fan of Serena van der Woodsen (Lively’s most iconic role, to date), like many other fans.

The criticism was not limited to the casting, however.

It Ends with Us is buzzing even before the movie completes its shoot

While fans are invested in the movie version of It Ends with Us, they cannot help but pinpoint every detail. There was also criticism of the choice of clothing of the characters. The novelist again assured that she enjoys discussing these details, but wants the moviegoers to be patient and that the outfits were seen out of context. She wants fans to see the end result when the flick is released.

The movie has a love triangle around Lively’s character, and Colleen was more than emotional upon seeing the way it was being produced. It should release sometime this year, but the exact date is not given yet.

What do you think of the casting choice? Share your thoughts in the comments.