Actor and author Justin Baldoni is developing a movie on Colleen Hoover's romance novel, 'It Ends With Us.' He joins Trending to talk about that process as well as his newest book, 'Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be.'

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Filmmaker Justin Baldoni Talks New Book 'Boys Will Be Human'

our next guest is an actor, filmmaker and author when he isn't starring in shows like jane the Virgin, He's busy with several projects behind the scenes, like taking the pages of Colleen Hoover's new york Times bestselling book. It ends with us. So the big screen through his Wayfarer entertainment company joining us now is Justin Baldoni good to have you here, Justin good. Justin so before we get to your new book, let's talk about It ends with us. The book has made its way to number one on the new york times bestsellers list. We know the script is done and you're currently casting but what kind of pressure is there to get a film adaptation of a hit book right here? There's a lot of pressure, I think there's a lot of pressure but in a good way, you know, this is a really powerful, powerful story and it's helped so many women and men and I'm just really excited to tackle it so that we can create an event film that can really make a difference because I I really want to make a movie that helps us stop asking the question, why did she stay to ask what role does the author of the book Colleen Hoover have in making of this film machine involved? Oh Colleen Colleen and I have become good friends. Uh I've had the book for almost four years now and uh so she's been a part of every step of the process. We recently did uh we recently did a fan reading of the script because I wanted to hear from the fans themselves. Okay, what did you like? What was missing from the book? What can we do better? What were you hoping would be in the script that wasn't in the book or vice versa and she came and we hung out and we got some amazing feedback and the script is done and I'm so proud of it, I'm so proud of it. So she'll be a part of the whole process. Well, I love the process that you go into with your production company cause it has a mission to create projects that really benefit the world. So why was it that it ends with us? Was the perfect fit for your company? Well, I mean, look, this is domestic violence awareness month also. So we happen to be in right now. And unfortunately in this kind of ties into my book and what I'm doing, men, um, men are not safe spaces right now and far too many women are victims of domestic violence and assault. I mean one in four women are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, one in five women are survivors of rape. Um, this has to stop and this is not a women's issue. This is a man's issue. So it was just, it just made perfect sense for me, especially, I feel really drawn and connected to this story. Um, and I really hope that it helps you mentioned your book there Justin, let's talk about it. It's called Boys will be humid. Let's talk about how this is a guidebook, really aiming to help young men here. Yeah, look, I I wrote this book for my 12 year old self, I didn't have anybody to talk to when I was going through puberty and when my body was changing and when I was in one of the most difficult periods of my life, middle school and high school and I really, really believe that it's in middle school and high school, that we really start to learn the rules of the boys club and this idea of boys will be boys when we start to put on our armor. It's when we um really learn to suppress and shut down our emotions and when we drowned out our sensitivity. I believe that by nature us boys are really sensitive, really sweet and we lose that around middle school and high school. So I wanted to write a very empowering book that helps boys know that who they are as they are is enough. And I use very, very personal, sometimes intense stories from my life as a way to draw and let them know that they're not alone, but they're not the only ones who experience these things and these feelings, just this book cover so many topics like equity, male privilege, body image, sex consent. What challenges went into writing this book which includes some pretty heavy topics, especially for such a young demographic. Yeah, well, I think that's the big one is you know, how young is too young to talk to about sex or porn, you know, I found porn when I was 10 years old and I didn't have a cell phone. I mean I'm I'm 38 so we're talking about like dial up modem. So you would just wait for like a minute to maybe see a nipple if you were lucky and and and you know, and that was like, and that was a lot for a 10 year old, you know, that was pre puberty for me and I and I was shown porn by a friend, but what it did to my brain, I will never forget Now you have eight year olds with cell phones that are finding Images and videos of things that in no period of human history could a young boy or a man have ever seen? I mean, a man can now in 10 minutes see more videos and images of a naked woman than he normally would in his entire life and we'd be kidding ourselves if we don't think that that messes up our brain. I think for these young young young boys finding born at such early ages is almost a sexual assault because of what it does to you. Um So look, there was a lot of challenges going into, Okay, well how young is too young, but at the same time we can't can't coddle these kids because the world isn't coddling them so well said, and we're glad that you're doing this are thanks to author, actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni. His new book Boys Will Be Human. He's available now wherever you get your books.