Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s ‘A Simple Favor’ Sequel to Open SXSW

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2025’s SXSW film and TV festival will debut the follow-up to the 2018 thriller, titled Another Simple Favor. This new installment is set to premiere at the event.

The announcement brings an end to the anticipation surrounding the release of the film, which had been a topic of discussion amidst actress Blake Lively’s ongoing legal dispute with director Justin Baldoni from ‘It Ends with Us’. Earlier this month, Paul Feig dismissed rumors that were spreading on social media about the film being put on hold due to the Lively court case. He clarified that the movie is already completed and will be released shortly.

Feig is back for directing the Amazon MGM sequel, where Anna Kendrick and Lively reprise their roles as Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson from the film Another Simple Favor. The story unfolds in the run-up to Emily’s grand wedding with a wealthy Italian entrepreneur on the beautiful island of Capri. Unfortunately, the events take a dark turn as murder and deceit ensue.

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to be part of this epic ensemble! Joining forces with Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Henry Golding, and the legendary Allison Janney is nothing short of a dream come true. Can’t wait to see what we create together!

I’m absolutely ecstatic to return to my most cherished festival on the planet, a place where we debuted ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Spy’. I feel incredibly blessed that our film is opening this grand event. Truth be told, I’ve shied away from making sequels for any of my movies, but these characters were just too delightful not to revisit again. So, to share the screening of our film with the fantastic SXSW crowd on March 7th is a long-held dream that I can finally tick off my bucket list. And guess what? Watching Dwight Yoakum’s band play drums moves up to the top slot in my dreams!

As a dedicated fan, I find myself excitedly anticipating the SXSW premiere, yet I’m also closely following the legal tussle between Blake Lively and Wilmer Valderrama. Last Monday, we saw our legal representatives face off in court for the first time. Judge Lewis Liman of the U.S. District Court wisely instructed us to adhere to a federal rule that prohibits lawyers from making statements to the media that could potentially influence the ongoing case. The trial is scheduled for March 2026, and I eagerly wait for more updates.

In addition to previously announced projects like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s series “The Studio”, Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant 2”, and the A24 film starring Jenna Ortega titled “Death of a Unicorn”, Another Simple Favor has also been added to the lineup.

Claudette Godfrey, the festival director, stated that when they watched the movie in autumn, they immediately felt it was perfect for the opening of SXSW – it sparked the exhilarating sensation we, as programmers, long for,

Jen Salke, head at Amazon MGM, commented, “Paul Feig has again masterfully combined mystery, humor, and surprising turns in the eagerly awaited film Another Simple Favor. The exceptional actors Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick breathe life into a script that takes the sequel to even greater heights.

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2025-02-04 23:24