Topline<\/p>\n
\u201cRegretting You,\u201d the latest film based on a blockbuster Colleen Hoover novel and the first since \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d infamously sparked a legal battle between its co-stars, is getting panned by critics who question whether the many forthcoming Hoover adaptations can succeed.<\/p>\n
“Regretting You” opens in theaters on Friday. (Photo by Gerald Matzka\/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)<\/p>\n
Getty Images for Paramount PicturesKey Facts<\/p>\n
\u201cRegretting You,\u201d which opens in theaters Friday, failed to impress critics and has just a 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> based on the first 24 reviews.<\/p>\n The film is based on Hoover\u2019s 2019 novel of the same name, which follows a young mother and her teenage daughter who contend with a tragedy and discover that the mother\u2019s husband and best friend had long been having an affair.<\/p>\n The box office outlook for \u201cRegretting You\u201d also appears middling, according to initial projections: Variety<\/a> said the film looks to gross between $8 million and $10 million, while Deadline<\/a> projected an opening between $9 million and $11 million, likely not enough to topple \u201cBlack Phone 2\u201d to win the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cRegretting You,\u201d directed by \u201cThe Fault in Our Stars\u201d director Josh Boone, stars Allison Williams and Mckenna Grace as the central mother and daughter characters, with Dave Franco, Mason Thames and Willa Fitzgerald in supporting roles.<\/p>\n Chief Critics<\/p>\n Hollywood Reporter<\/a> critic Richard Lawson suggested \u201cRegretting You\u201d could \u201cend the Colleen Hoover adaptation craze,\u201d slamming the film\u2019s \u201cinescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.\u201d He criticized the movie for unsuccessfully trying to appeal to both teenagers and adults, comparing it unfavorably to \u201cIt Ends With Us,\u201d an adult-focused movie that he said turned \u201ca poorly written novel by mega-author Colleen Hoover\u201d into \u201cpersuasive, often lovely melodrama.\u201d In a two-star review, The Guardian<\/a> critic Adrian Horton called the movie a \u201cbland misfire\u201d and also suggested the era of Hoover film adaptations \u201cmay be short-lived.\u201d IndieWire<\/a> critic Kate Erbland gave the film a C rating and said it will work for audiences who \u201ccan vibe with its melodramatic wackiness,\u201d but said Hoover\u2019s material \u201ccontinues to feel far less interesting than the fervor and fandom around it.\u201d Deadline<\/a> critic Damon Wise said the tone of the movie is \u201call over the place\u201d and criticized it as a \u201cridiculous and overwrought slice of melodrama\u201d that will leave viewers wondering \u201cwhat the hell you\u2019re doing there.\u201d<\/p>\n How Many Other Colleen Hoover Adaptations Are In The Works?<\/p>\n Hoover, who has reportedly sold<\/a> more than 20 million books after rocketing to fame on \u201cBookTok,\u201d TikTok\u2019s community of readers, has become one of Hollywood\u2019s most frequently adapted authors in recent years. Two more films based on Hoover\u2019s novels are set to open in theaters over the next year: \u201cReminders of Him,\u201d starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers, will open in March, while \u201cVerity,\u201d starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett will premiere in October 2026.<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Hoover\u2019s last adaptation to hit theaters was \u201cIt Ends With Us,\u201d which surpassed expectations to gross $50 million in its opening weekend and $351 million worldwide<\/a> at the end of its theatrical run. But the movie became infamous for the still-ongoing legal battle<\/a> it sparked between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who also served as the movie\u2019s director. Rumors<\/a> of drama among the cast swirled when the movie hit theaters in August 2024, as Lively and Baldoni were never seen promoting the film together. In December, Lively filed a civil rights complaint in California against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation, before filing a lawsuit against him in federal court weeks later with similar allegations. Baldoni then filed a since-dismissed lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the newspaper of libel after it published an investigation purporting to show Baldoni and a crisis public relations team orchestrating a \u201csmear campaign\u201d against Lively. Baldoni also filed a lawsuit<\/a> against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and Lively\u2019s publicist Leslie Sloane in January, accusing them of defamation and extortion, also accusing Lively of trying to usurp creative control of the movie. The case is currently slated to head to trial in March.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n