Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will face off at the box office this weekend.
The actress’s new film, It Ends With Us, is gearing up for a big opening weekend, according to Deadlinewhile her husband’s Deadpool & Wolverine has dominated the box office for the past two weeks.
It Ends With Us grossed $7 million in Thursday previews, bringing its projected Friday total to $23.2 million. Meanwhile, Deadpool & Wolverine is expected to gross $15 million on Friday.
The outlet estimates that It Ends With Us will gross around $40 million in its opening, while Deadpool & Wolverine could potentially gross as much as $53 million.
Additionally, many sources are predicting a ‘Barbenheimer’ effect this weekend, with audiences flocking to see both It Ends With Us and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will face off at the box office this weekend; you can see it on Tuesday
To date, Deadpool & Wolverine has grossed $407 million domestically and $851 million worldwide.
The box office battle comes despite Blake’s film being blocked from theatrical release in Qatar over kissing scenes.
The country’s Censorship Committee has banned Sony Pictures’ PG-13 romantic drama based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestseller, which focuses heavily on domestic abuse.
The 36-year-old actress, who is currently feuding with co-star Justin Baldoni, plays Lily Bloom in the film. Her character appears in kissing scenes and a modest sex scene in which the characters remain in their underwear.
Qatar, located at the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is known for its strict censorship policies and a pattern of banning American films.
The It Ends With Us ban comes after the country previously blocked other PG-13 films including Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals.
This also comes after a source told DailyMail.com that the feud between Lively and Baldoni stemmed from the actor/director’s “chauvinistic” and “almost abusive” behavior on set.
Rumours of a fierce feud between Justin, 40, and Blake have been circulating for weeks, with online sleuths highlighting how the on-screen love interests were not pictured together at the US premiere, while some cast members have blatantly evaded questions about the director.
Now, insiders have revealed the worrying truth about the tensions, telling DailyMail.com that Blake and Justin clashed over his “dismissive” attitude toward her “input” while filming scenes involving abuse.
The film, which hits theaters today and is based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name, follows Lily Bloom (Blake), a floral designer who falls for neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin, but soon after they begin dating, the romance turns toxic.
The actress’ new film, It Ends With Us, is set for a big opening weekend, according to Deadline, while her husband’s Deadpool & Wolverine has dominated the box office for the past two weeks.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman continue to hold the box office crown after their blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine landed in first place for a second consecutive week, and could potentially gross as much as $53 million this weekend.
The source claimed Justin only focused on “what he believed to be the abusive male point of view” and had a very “chauvinistic” approach to the issue.
“During scenes depicting abuse, Justin failed to take Blake’s character’s perspective into account and focused solely on what he believed to be the abusive male point of view,” they said.
‘His approach was very chauvinistic and created a tense atmosphere on the set.’
The source claimed Justin was “almost abusive” on set and said it “almost became the character.”
“Justin almost became the character in the sense that some women on set felt he was almost abusive to them and that he was unprofessional and unapologetic,” they said.
“To make such a serious and important film about domestic abuse without allowing women to be included in this process is disturbing.”
The source claimed the actor, who also served as director and producer, “failed to acknowledge” Blake and Colleen’s roles as producer and writer.
And he was said to have taken it “very personally” when the couple asked him to rewrite some scripts.
“Without Colleen’s book, none of this would have been possible,” they said.
The box office battle comes despite Blake’s film being blocked from theatrical release in Qatar over kissing scenes.
It also comes after a source told DailyMail.com that the feud between Lively and co-star/director Justin Baldoni stemmed from the actor/director’s “chauvinistic” and “borderline abusive” behavior on set.
“Some parts of the film were rewritten under Colleen’s direction, that’s true. He took the script decisions very seriously, even though that wasn’t the intention.”
They said things only got worse when he started feeling “attacked” by women on set.
“His behavior extended beyond the main characters,” the source continued. “Once he felt attacked, he became even less empathetic.”
“Now he speaks highly of him, probably out of fear of being criticized. He knows he will be criticized and might try to blame his actions on the fact that he is a method actor.”
DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Blake, Justin and Colleen for comment.
