In the battle of spouses at the box office, Ryan Reynolds is coming out on top.
Reynolds, 47, and his wife, Blake Lively, star in some of this summer’s biggest blockbusters — Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us, respectively — giving each other stiff competition when it comes to ticket sales. The Colleen Hoover novel adaptation, however, did not make as much money as Marvel’s trash-talking antihero during its first weekend in theaters.
Deadpool & Wolverine, the third and presumably final installment in the Deadpool film franchise, was released on July 26 and officially crossed the $1 billion box office mark on Saturday, August 10. For its third weekend specifically, the action-pack flick (which features a subtle cameo from Lively as Lady Deadpool) made $54.2 million.
Lively’s It Ends With Us came in just behind her husband’s flick following its premiere on Friday, August 9, reportedly making $50 million at the box office for its opening weekend. The movie was tracked for a $23 million opening, per The Hollywood Reporter, but it’s possible rumored drama behind the scenes pushed ticket sales over the edge.
TikTok sleuths have been speculating for weeks that something went awry between Lively, 36, and costar Justin Baldoni, who also served as the movie’s director. Lively — a producer — and other members of the cast were not photographed with Baldoni, 40, amid the film’s press tour. Baldoni has also appeared to skip out on many interview opportunities. (Baldoni was hospitalized at the beginning of June for an infection.)
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ Quotes About Working on Each Other’s Movies
While neither Lively nor Baldoni have directly addressed the rumors, it’s been widely speculated that the final cut of the movie is what caused tension. The Hollywood Reporter was first to float this theory, with insiders alleging that Lively asked editor Shane Reid for her own cut of the movie, separate from Baldoni’s.
A source told Us Weekly on Friday that “it’s very typical to have many cuts of the film during the post-production process.” It’s unclear which cut was used when the movie hit theaters.
“This is the nature of post-production and part of the editing process,” the source told Us. “All parties agreed on the final cut of the film and agreed that it’s the best version of the film.”
Lively stars as flower shop owner Lily Bloom, who falls in love with Baldoni’s Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon with a dark past. As their relationship takes an abusive turn, Lily finds herself face-to-face with first love Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
Justin Baldoni ‘Let the Women Actually Run the Set’ of ‘It Ends With Us’
Amid the alleged drama, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Lively, along with other stars from the film, do not follow Baldoni on Instagram. Jenny Slate (who plays Ryle’s sister Allysa) seemed to dodge a question about working with Baldoni at the movie’s New York City premiere earlier this month.
“Talk to me, what was that like — having [Baldoni] be director but also scene partner?” a Deadline reporter asked in a now-viral video.
While Slate, 42, answered the question, she failed to mention Baldoni. “I mean, what an intense job? To have to do so many things,” she said. “I just found myself being like, ‘Wow, I really just want to have one job at once.’ In fact, I’ve often felt that way. … I was looking around just being like, ‘I’m good with just acting.’ I love it.”
