Colleen Hoover hit big with her first Hollywood at-bat “It Ends With Us,” but the cheeky bestselling author’s full film adaptation potential has yet to be seen.
Before its blowout legal battle between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni took centerstage, her romantic drama film beat box office expectations, grossing over $350 million worldwide and $148.5 million domestically against a reported $25 million budget.
But her second adaptation, “Regretting You,” grossed just $12.9 million in its opening weekend, raising questions about the lasting appeal of her books on the big screen.
Hoover has had a tremendous early run, with four films coming in three years, including the blockbuster hit of “It Ends With Us” that performed 14x its budget. But is she the next Nicolas Sparks or a flash in the pan? Paramount’s “Regretting You,” which is only her tenth-best selling book, is a decidedly lower stakes affair. The Amazon MGM adaptation of thriller “Verity,” led by Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, could cement her as a book-to-movie star to watch when it comes out in 2026.
Insiders told TheWrap that with four adaptations on the way, no other Hoover projects are in the works as Hollywood looks to see if these films hit before snatching up additional rights.
Hoover is not without her own controversies. Known for her simple prose and “smutty” writing style, critics of the bestseller argue her underdeveloped female characters reinforce misogynistic tropes and that she glorifies abusive, unhealthy relationships.
But it’s hard to argue that the bestselling romance novelist is a phenom. She outsold the Bible in 2022 and 2023 and has published 27 books since 2012 with one on the way in 2026. To date, Hoover has sold 33.8 million copies in the U.S., according to Circana BookScan. Her bestseller “It Ends With Us” sold more than 10 million copies worldwide as of September 2024.
‘It Ends With Us’ started it all
“It Ends With Us” is Hoover’s biggest property. The 2016 romantic drama book blew up upon its release but had a second life on social media once it was discovered by BookTok during the pandemic. Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios still has the film rights to the coveted sequel and her second bestselling book “It Starts With Us.” It will likely be a key bargaining point in the lawsuit between its stars after the extremely public fallout.
But “It Ends With Us” was just the beginning of Hollywood’s piqued interest in the author. Hoover has since spread the wealth between studios with her four film adaptations. “It Ends With Us” landed at Sony Pictures; “Regretting You” with Paramount Pictures; “Reminders of Him” with Universal Pictures; and “Verity” at Amazon MGM Studios.
As of now, a book agent told TheWrap that all of her titles up for adaptation are spoken for, but it remains to be seen if Hollywood is waiting to see how successful a non-”It Ends With Us” CoHo title is before snatching up more of her books.
“There are no other Colleen Hoover projects in active development,” a top talent agent told TheWrap. “Along with ‘It Ends With Us,’ that would be four feature adaptations released in less than three years. That’s a lot.”
Paramount’s “Regretting You” leans into the YA genre and is more of a rom-com than her other novels. As opposed to her other titles, “Regretting You” does not have the same cult following — the story follows a mother and daughter reckoning with a devastating accident, and the film is anchored by Allison Williams, McKenna Grace, Dave Franco and Mason Thames. Paramount has leaned into digital-first marketing efforts, pushing out trailers on TikTok, Instagram and even ReelShort.
Though it has a theatrical release, it was not expected to open at the same level as “It Ends With Us,” which scored $50 million domestically on its opening weekend. It lacks the star power of Lively and, frankly, the emotional draw of that book’s fans. The reviews for “Regretting You” have also been subpar, earning a 31% critics score ahead of opening weekend. Its success or failure may not be indicative of Hoover’s staying power in Hollywood.
The novelist started her own production company in 2024, starting first with an adaptation of her 2022 novel “Reminders of Him.” Starring Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Lainey Wilson and Lauren Graham, the project is set to premiere in March will be her first adaptation with Heartbones Productions. Hoover penned the screenplay with producing partner Lauren Levine. The first trailer received nearly 20 million views in its first two days, and “Reminders of Him” is her fifth best-selling title.
For Hoover’s psychological thriller “Verity,” the stakes are much higher. Amazon picked up the rights to Hoover’s bestselling novel in May 2024, attaching Hathaway to star in November of that year. Being her second biggest title behind the “It Ends With Us” franchise, selling more than one million copies in 2023 alone, “Verity” will likely boost box office figures more than Hoover’s other adaptations in the works — especially with Hathaway leading the cast. Levine and Hoover also serve as producers for the project for Heartbones Entertainment.
Buzz is already circulating about the project. Fans eagerly filmed Hathaway and co-star Dakota Johnson filming in the streets of New York City this spring, praising the adaptation for its accuracy compared to the book — unlike the hate Lively got for her quirky wardrobe choices for Lily Bloom.
Problematic content
Hoover is not without her own haters. Critics said “It Ends With Us” glorified domestic abuse. Though Hoover’s own mother (who she dedicated the book to) was a victim of domestic abuse and left Hoover’s father because of it, some fans did not appreciate the way in which the violence was portrayed in the film and the novel itself.
A controversial coloring book and “tone-deaf” marketing campaign for the romantic drama film only caused further scrutiny over Hoover and the production – all before its stars entered a months-long legal battle.
The author has also been critiqued for her depiction of female characters for being submissive or complacent to their male counterparts. Some critics have gone as far to say that the author relies on misogynistic tropes.
Though four film adaptations in just three years is a feat, several other bestselling properties of Hoover’s are still up for grabs. Her fourth best-selling novel “Ugly Love” does not have an adaptation in the works yet. The book is the steamiest of her best-sellers, and her smut-loving audience would likely flock to the theaters for a release a la “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Her 2015 romance drama “November 9” is her sixth-best selling property, but it also does not yet have a home.
While “Regretting You” may not have had the same returns as her first blockbuster, Hoover’s Hollywood sparkle has yet to be realized. Come this time next year, after four movies hit the screen, the industry could be singing a different tune.
Umberto Gonzalez contributed reporting to this story.
