In recent times, the likes of Eternals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Lightyear, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and West Side Story have all been cancelled from screening in Qatar, mostly due to the fact that they all contain LGBTQ+ characters or scenes.

In the country, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. In addition, certain public expressions of affection, like kissing or hugging, are illegal in public, family-friendly areas, therefore, this is also a likely reason to be behind the ban of It Ends With Us.

The film is directed by Justin Baldoni, based on the novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, starring Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj alongside Lively. Lively plays a flower shop owner who becomes involved in a love triangle between her abusive partner and her childhood love.

Opening weekend was a huge success for It Ends With Us, the movie generation $80 million through the global box office, with $50 million coming from the United States and Canada alone.

Alleged feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

The Qatari cancellation is not the only controversy surrounding the film, though, allegedly a huge rift emerged between Baldoni and Lively during the making of the movie. The director is alleged to have hired crisis PR film to deal with the fallout between himself and his lead actor.

Baldoni initially didn’t turn up to any press events to promote the film, nor did he pose for any photos with Lively at the premiere. After the principal photography of It Ends With Us, it’s alleged that Lively and Baldoni disagreed over two different cuts of the film, but Baldoni has now admitted there was already “friction” before the editing process had begun.

The director told Elle UK about his challenging experience making the movie: “There are all these things that happen every day on set, there’s always friction that happens when you make a movie like this. Then at the end of the day, it’s that friction, I believe, that creates the beautiful art.”

He also explained how it improved him as a director and actor, adding, “Everything in life needs friction to grow. And look, we created something so beautiful and so magical, and it was hard, and it was worth it at the same time. And I grew so much as both a filmmaker, an actor and as a person throughout this experience.”

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