'It Ends With Us' stars felt 'really safe' on set to film violent scene as Lily and Atlas

It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively, Brandon Sklenar and Justin Baldoni (who also directed the film), based on Colleen Hoover's novel that addresses generational cycles of domestic violence, has been translated to the screen in one of the most buzzy movies of the summer. But while much of the focus is on adult Lily (Lively), Atlas (Sklenar) and Ryle (Baldoni), Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter really lay the foundation of these characters and their story, playing teenage Lily and Atlas.

"The fact that it's an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel is, first and foremost, a huge feat already, taking that on," Ferrer told Yahoo Canada about what excited her about being part of the project. "That was just such a privilege and it was so exciting to be able to work with such phenomenal writing."

"But I also have to ... just give credit to Colleen for writing such a wonderfully complex young character, and to be able to really delve into those kind of struggles, but also this beautiful love that her and Atlas have at such a young age. To have a character like that I think was just so special."

When we meet teenage Lily, she looks out the window of her home and sees her schoolmate Atlas sneaking into an abandoned property. Concerned about his wellbeing, she brings him food and extends an invitation for him to shower at her house, before her parents get home.

Atlas, who shares with Lily that his mother has been abused by multiple intimate partners, has been kicked out of his home. Lily is not only a generous teen but has a deeper connection with Atlas, having seen her mother being abused by her father. As they spend more time together, they fall in love.

"It's really interesting seeing how people react and take on being at their low points, and where we find young Atlas he's really at his lowest point," Neustaedter said.

"There's a ton of source material to go through with the book and then the script being so good. Then to be able to meet Isabela and work with her on this was just a ton of fun. And we had a lot of opportunity to get to know each other and collaborate. I think this is one of those stories where a lot of people are going to relate to it. A lot of people have dealt with these sort of situations and issues, I think that was something that I connected with as well."

It's a big ask in the film to be tasked with making us understand the love Atlas and Lily had for each other as teens, especially when done through flashbacks and breaks in the present day timeline. The first scene Ferrer and Neustaedter ever filmed together was a moment when the pair are gardening, which also establishes Lily's love of flowers, eventually opening a flower shop.

"I have such great memories from it because ... being able to work outside and especially as an actor, to have an activity is so beneficial," Ferrer said.

"Especially trying to deal with emotionally heavy topics and themes, to be able to get on my knees and in the dirt, and to be working with real vegetables and pulling things out of the ground, ... all the while the tumultuous stuff that's going on in her brain, it's just a really fulfilling scene to film for the first day. And to also just feel already so safe and wonderful working with Alex, that just made it such a great day and such a great start to the whole process."

"It's very grounding scene," Neustaedter added. "I like my hands in the dirt, I garden myself, so for me that just felt really comfortable."

"I think we'd already built a little bit of a rapport with rehearsals and getting to know each other a little off screen. So I think it was a really good scene for us to to start with because we were able to build that trust, and we were able to play a lot in it and give different versions, and find where we wanted that scene to go."

Watch: Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter talk about feeling 'safe' on 'It Ends With Us' set and managing expectations from book fans

'It's really hard to watch, but doing the scene it felt good and it felt right'

That trust was also required in another scene that stands out in It Ends With Us for being one of the more violent moments in the whole film. With teenage Lily and Atlas keeping their relationship a secret from Lily's parents, her dad, played by Grey's Anatomy alum Kevin McKidd, walks in on them in her room. His response is to viciously and violently attack Atlas in front of Lily, severely injuring him to the point where he needs to be rushed to the hospital.

In terms of going to that dark and terrifying place as actors, Ferrer and Neustaedter stressed that the set felt like a safe place to explore that part of the story.

"I felt really, really safe being able to go to those places," Neustaedter said. "I think the set felt very collaborative and the crew was amazing. The cast was amazing."

"I was really only working with Isabela and then that scene, particularly, Kevin was there as well. And it was one of those things where we just kind of went for it, and I think we knew what was on the page, and we knew the significance of the scene. I think it's really hard to watch, but doing the scene it felt good and it felt right. ... I think they edited it together beautifully."

Ferrer echoed Neustaedter's comments, highlighting that McKidd, in particular, was incredibly considerate.

"I think the people that you're working with really can set the tone for a room," Ferrer said. "I have to give a shout out to Kevin McKidd, because while you're working with an actor and especially that scene, not only between Lily's father and Atlas, but also between Lily's father and her, there's a lot of animosity that happens there."

"Kevin McKidd is such a sweet and kind, gentle person who checked in with both of us every single time after we did a take. He said, 'Are you OK? I know I just yelled at you.' He was always so considerate of how we were doing, just as people as well, and not just as actors doing a thing, and that really benefited, I think, overall."

'I really tried to distance myself from all the expectations'

To really get into the character of Atlas, Neustaedter shared with Yahoo Canada earlier this year that he actually went on a road trip with a camper van through Maine, where Atlas and Lily and from.

"I'd never been to Maine so I was like, this is a win-win situation for me to go see more of that side of the country and really just see what the vibe was like, see what the people were doing, and just live there and be in that environment," Neustaedter said. "I always kind of take to environments that I'm in and find that it really informs me as a person and as an actor. So that was really helpful."

"It was also a way to just kind of clear my mind before we started filming, to really just camp and forget about everything, and just think about just being present. And that's really what I tried to bring to this."

But no matter how much character work the actors do, with the book It Ends With Us that has passionate fans, the release of the movie has amplified those both positive feelings and more negative responses. That includes commentary on everything from aging up the older main characters, to criticism of Lively using pieces from her own wardrobe for the film. It's pressure both Ferrer and Neustaedter have had to face.

"I really want to respect what the fans want and what they love about the book, and as a book reader myself, I've read books and I've had ideas in my own head too. ... I'm so empathetic to that," Ferrer said. "And so I think when it came to filming this, I always had in the back of my mind just trying to respect what would be important for the fans as well, the readers."

"I feel like it's a really cool opportunity to play a character that is loved by so many people," Neustaedter added. "Personally, for me, I really tried to distance myself from all the expectations and kind of how everybody else was gravitating towards the character."

"I think the book is such good source material into young Atlas through the diaries, that was super helpful, but I really needed for myself to just connect with it in my own way and try to bring that representation as best as I could. Because I knew if it was real to me, it would hopefully translate, and I hope they like my interpretation of the character."