This article contains mentions of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as mental illness, infertility, and miscarriage.
Spoilers for It Ends With Us are ahead!Many Colleen Hoover books have the potential to be made into feature-length motion pictures afterIt Ends With Usgrossed over $200 million within the first two and a half weeks in theaters. Based onColleen Hoover’s controversial 2016 book,It Ends With Usfollows a woman named Lily Bloom who finds herself in a marriage that mirrors her mother and abusive father’s relationship. The movie is a harrowing depiction of surviving domestic violence and breaking the cycle of abuse that maintains key parts of the book while drastically improving upon the source material.
DespiteIt Ends With Us' mixed reviews, the movie performed incredibly well at the box office. Despite only a $25 million budget, the movie grossed an incredible $210.49 million worldwide within the first 2 weeks, according toBox Office Mojo. While all the ticket sales probably can’t be attributed to Colleen Hoover fans,it seems likely that the author’s name drew in a large portion of the audience. After all, she previously had seven books onThe New York Times' best seller list at once and outsold the Bible. With this in mind, production companies could look to popular Colleen Hoover books for future movie projects.
10Regretting You By Colleen Hoover (2019) – Confirmed
Goodreads Rating: 4.13 Stars Out Of 5
Constantin Films' adaptation ofRegretting Youshould lean toward the drama genre instead of romance.
After the success ofIt Ends With Us, two future adaptations of Colleen Hoover books have been highly publicized. The less popular book being turned into a movie isRegretting You. The novel spends more time exploring the mother-daughter relationship between Morgan, who was a teen mom, and Clara, her sixteen-year-old daughter. Tragedy strikes when Clara’s father, Chris, dies in a car accident, forcing them to find a way to cooperate without a buffer.
Like every Colleen Hoover book, romance is inserted as a subplot. A significant source of contention between the mother and daughter is that Clara grows closer with her crush, Miller.The sheer amount of drama and plot twists in this book made it an obvious choice for a movie adaptation.
Hopefully, Constantin Films' adaptation ofRegretting Youshould lean toward the drama genre instead of romance. The tension, family drama, and complex characters will appeal to audiences who enjoy dramas more than they would romance audiences, though the two obviously aren’t mutually exclusive. So far, they’ve tapped Dave Franco, Allison Williams, and Mckenna Grace to lead the cast – well-established actors with the versatility to display the emotional range necessary for this movie.
9Verity By Colleen Hoover (2018) – Confirmed
Goodreads Rating: 4.31 Stars Out Of 5
The other major Colleen Hoover adaptation will have fans sitting on the edge of their seats with excitement.VerityandIt Ends With Usare the two most popular books by Colleen Hoover by a landslide. The former book follows an author named Verity, who is in a coma. Her husband, Jeremy Crawford, hires a writer named Lowen to finish Verity’s books, but things take a dark turn when Lowen finds Verity’s autobiography, which paints a different light on the author.
Lowen must find a way to reconcile with this as she develops romantic feelings for Jeremy.It Ends With Us’ box office success has positive implications forVerity, providing an idea of how successful the upcoming movie could be.Colleen Hoover fans will clearly turn out for movie adaptations of her stories.
However, it’s worth mentioning thatIt Ends With Ustargeted fans of romances and domestic abuse survivors (depending on which part of the marketing you go with), whereasVerityis a thriller with a romantic subplot. The audiences are inherently different. Additionally, thebehind-the-scenes drama fromIt Ends With Uscould dissuade skeptical people from going to the adaptation ofVerity.
8Reminders Of Him (2022) - Confirmed
Goodreads Rating: 4.36 Stars Out Of 5
Reminders of Himis just as much of a drama asIt Ends With Us, and not quite as much of a thriller, which would likely appeal to fans who want to see her novels translated to the big screen. It’s alsoone of Hoover’s most recent novels, which means it is one that is more fresh in the minds of fans of her particular blend of romance and tragedy.It’s also beenconfirmed to be in developmentfor a movie to release in 2026.
The story follows a woman named Kenna who has recently been released from prison. She was found guilty of causing the car accident that killed her child’s father, and her child has been raised by his family during her time behind bars. Upon her release, Kenna wants to reconnect with her child, but the family is understandably not interested in that happening.
Along the way, Kenna becomes close with her late partner’s best friend, and thatromance acts as more of a subplot to the story. The real story is how Kenna processes her own grief and guilt- and whether there is more to her boyfriend’s death. Elements of tragedy, mystery, and familial connections would combine perfectly under the right direction and performances.
It Ends With Us Finally Said What We’ve All Been Thinking When It Comes To Colleen Hoover Books
In a moment of self-referential humor, the movie adaptation of It Ends With Us pokes fun at one of the most common traits of Colleen Hoover’s books.
7It Starts With Us By Colleen Hoover (2022)
Goodreads Rating: 3.87 Stars Out Of 5
The most logical Colleen Hoover adaptation afterIt Ends With Uswould be the book’s sequel,It Starts With Us. The book picks up directly after the last one left off, with both Lily and Altas trying to figure out their feelings for one another. While some readers probably went into that book expecting serious drama within Atlas and Lily’s relationship, everything goes fairly smoothly, except for Ryle’s obviously abusive responses. However, arguably the most exciting story developments are those of Atlas’s past, family, and unknown brother.
Fortunately or unfortunately – depending on the perception – theending of the ItEnds With Usmovieadaptation makes anIt Starts With Usadaptation nearly impossible.The writers would need to seriously transform the source materialfor anything to make sense because Lily is raising Emerson without Ryle.
One potential option would be to remove all the scenes and dialogue involving Ryle and focus solely on Atlas’ story, which would allow the writers to expand thinner parts of the storyline. Alternatively, if the writers wanted to bring Ryle back in and show the co-parenting conflict, they could have Ryle take Lily to court to have time with Emerson. This custody battle would keep the story moving in a way that feels authentic. At the same time, they could keep the meaningful part of Atlas’ story from the book.
6Hopeless By Colleen Hoover (2012)
Goodreads Rating: 4.24 Stars Out Of 5
Hopeless, one ofthe first books released by Colleen Hoover, would work well as a movie based on the exciting plot twists and romance. The book follows 17-year-old Sky who is going to school for the first time, not knowing anyone after a life of homeschooling. She quickly connects with the school’s “bad boy,” Dean Holder. However, Sky’s life and romance aren’t all that it seems.
This Colleen Hoover book is explicitly a dark romance story, making it easier to stomach some of the more macabre and challenging parts of the story. The book’s name is very overt, so there aren’t any false pretenses about a happy, uncomplicated romance.The story also provides an interesting back-and-forth between Sky’s life in the present day and her life 13 years earlier.
If done well, this back-and-forth can help build suspense and mystery in a movie, giving hints of potential plot twists without revealing too much information. The pacing is fast, making it an easy read. A movie adaptation ofHopelesswould need to maintain this characteristic of the source material. However, it certainly feels possible with the right creative team behind the project.
5Without Merit By Colleen Hoover (2017)
Goodreads Rating: 3.68 Stars Out Of 5
Movies likeThis Is Where I Leave You,Little Miss Sunshine, andShiva Babyprove there is a market for drama movies about deeply dysfunctional families…
Production companies looking to adapt aColleen Hoover bookafterIt Ends With Usmight want to considerWithout Merit, a book that’s pretty solidly outside the romance genre. The book focuses on Merit Voss, an 18-year-old living in a deeply dysfunctional family system riddled with poor communication, mental illnesses, and secrets. She tries to come to terms with her family secrets while developing a relationship with Sagan Kattan, a young man with his own traumatic past.
Like many other Colleen Hoover books,Without Meritshould never have been considered a romance. Merit’s slow, blossoming romance with Sagan is a subplot and the most stable part of this book. In all reality,the conflict in this Hoover novel is a family drama that delves into topics of mental health and trauma. Like most unhealthy family systems, the Voss family is riddled with secrets that threaten their public image.
Movies likeThis Is Where I Leave You,Little Miss Sunshine, andShiva Babyprove there is a market for drama movies about deeply dysfunctional families, so there is a lot of potential for aWithout Meritfilm adaptation. The key would be finding directors, producers, and actors who could all handle the serious topics – like sexual molestation, agoraphobia, suicide attempts, and parental neglect – with the care that they deserve.
It Ends With Us Fixed All My Issues With Colleen Hoover’s Book & I’m Thrilled
Though I went into the movie skeptical due to Colleen Hoover’s book, It Ends With Us fixes all my problems, delivering a powerful and moving story.
4Confess By Colleen Hoover (2015)
Goodreads Rating: 4.09 Stars Out Of 5
Colleen Hoover’s 2015 novelConfesscould be a great choice to adapt for the big screen afterIt Ends With Us’ success based on its strong premise and relatable themes. The story follows a woman named Auburn Reed who is rebuilding her life after losing her first love and custody of her child. She goes into an art studio for a job to meet Owen Gentry, a love interest with a secret that could derail her life.
Confessincludes many tropes that romance audiences love, including love at first sight, a relationship risking someone’s reputation, a self-sacrificing protagonist, and forbidden love. The way the characters’ stories weave together could work well through a series of flashbacks, adding variation to the storytelling method.
The viewers, whether new or fans of Hoover’s books, will undoubtedly connect withthe complex emotions and topics explored in the story, such as death, grief, substance use disorder, sexual assault, and custody battles.Additionally, because Owen is an artist who runs his own gallery, there’s potential for a movie to utilize the process of making art and the art pieces as a visual metaphor for the relationship in the story.
Confesswas previously adapted into a television series for the short-lived streaming platform Go90 in 2017. The series is available to purchase from digital retailers.
3Ugly Love (2014)
Goodreads Rating: 4.02 Stars Out Of 5
…with the right changes, much likeIt Ends With Us, it could work.
Ugly Lovemight be a bit more difficult to bring to the screen because half of the romantic couple in the story is incredibly unlikable for most of the book, but with the right changes, much likeIt Ends With Us, it could work.The relationship at the center of the story is messy and complicated, and that kind of drama makes for a compelling character arc.
The movie follows a nurse and a pilot she meets. They do not get along at first, but after he hurts himself and she is the one who stitches up his wound, they can admit their attraction to one another despite their clashing personalities. The pilot, Miles, makes a deal with the nurse, Tate, that they can have a no-strings-attached physical relationship with one another as long as there is no planning for the future and no questions about the past. She agrees.
Similar stories have played out with great results in romantic comedies. The trick here would be to ensure that both characters are allowed to be flawed, but the audience does not hate them. For a lot of readers, Miles is a horrible character because he treats Tate so poorly before more of his past and his point of view is explored. The movie would likely have to play with both points of view instead of focusing on Tate’s for most of the story to make Miles a more sympathetic character.
2Maybe Someday (2014)
Goodreads Rating: 3.99 Stars Out Of 5
Maybe Somedaywould be a great vehicle for a pair of actors who want to showcase their musical abilities or musicians who want to cross over to the acting world(or ones who already have their feet in both worlds). That’s because the romance at the center of the story occurs between two musicians.
The story follows Sydney, who feels like she has a pretty great life until she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. In the wake of the infidelity, Sydney grows closer to her neighbor, even writing music with him, and their friendship blossoms into something more. It’s much more of a typical romance than Hoover fans might be used to, but that’s why it might work even better than some of her other novels for the screen.
It would also be a great chance for a compelling soundtrackif the right writers and performers were put together to make as much compelling music as story. The novel actually had music released at the same time, courtesy of QR codes placed in the text that allow the reader to hear the songs being referenced in the book.
In 2022, the news broke that the novel was being adapted for a television series, but there has been no additional news on the team behind the potential show or any casting. While it’s possible it’s still in development, it’s also possible that the project stalled.
1All Your Perfects By Colleen Hoover (2018)
The bookAll Your Perfectsby Colleen Hoover is probably one of Colleen Hoover’s most raw books outside ofIt Ends With UsandIt Starts With Us. It is another book that has so much potential but is marketed wrong. This book is far from the frothy romance it looks like on the outside, delving instead into how a relationship can either survive or fail through the challenges of infertility.
However, it is highlybeloved by Colleen Hoover fans due to the exploration of second chances in marriages.Additionally, both characters are flawed but trying to cope with heartbreak. If filmmakers approached this in a similar way to the movie version ofIt Ends With Us, they could create a beautiful and meaningful story that resonates with people with uteruses who want to get pregnant but can’t.
They would be best off marketing the movie with a little more tact, given the heaviness and complexity of the topics. Additionally, asIt Ends With Usshould have had, a movie adaptation ofAll Your Perfectswould definitely need a massive trigger warning because the story deals with infertility, miscarriage, and cheating.
Sources:The New York Times,Box Office Mojo and Goodreads
Disclaimer: The messages expressed in these Colleen Hoover books do not necessarily reflect the opinions or values of the article writer, and this article should not be viewed as an endorsement.
It Ends With Us
Cast
Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, It Ends With Us is a drama-romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. The film follows a recent college graduate named Lily, who meets a man named Ryle and falls in love with him. However, a traumatic incident compounded with her former high-school sweetheart re-entering her life complicates her plans.
