Blake Lively’s ‘A Simple Favor’ Sequel Titled ‘Another Simple Favor’, Premieres SXSW 2025

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The eagerly anticipated follow-up to the 2018 blockbuster “A Simple Favor” has now been titled and set a release date on Prime Video. Known as “Another Simple Favor“, this film will bring back Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in their roles as Emily Nelson and Stephanie Smothers. The story centers around Emily’s wedding in Capri, Italy, disrupted by a murder incident. Director Paul Feig is back at the helm, along with Jessica Sharzer, the original screenwriter, who is also joined by Laeta Kalogridris, known for writing “Shutter Island”.

At the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) on Mar. 7, 2025, Prime Video will debut the premiere film: Another Simple Favor. The director, Paul Feig, shared his excitement about returning to his favorite festival globally, where they previously launched Bridesmaids and Spy. He expressed immense pride in having Another Simple Favor kick off the event, stating, “I couldn’t be more delighted to return to this special gathering, and I can hardly find words for how honored I am to have our film opening it all.” Despite not typically making sequels or follow-ups, Feig found the project too entertaining to resist, calling it “too much fun” to pass up.

I’ve never created sequels for my movies, but the characters were so delightful that I couldn’t resist revisiting them. So, it’s a dream come true for me, Anna, Blake, Henry [Golding], Andrew [Rannells], Michele [Morrone], Elizabeth [Perkins], Alex [Newell] and myself to screen our film at SXSW on March 7th. This experience will be a cherished memory that I’ll add to my bucket list. Plus, moving playing drums for Dwight Yoakum’s band to the top of my priorities now!

Claudette Godfrey, the vice president of film and television at SXSW, explained why they chose Another Simple Favor as the perfect movie to kick off the film festival. She cited its unique blend of elements that make it a standout choice for the event.

Upon watching this movie in the fall, we immediately felt it was perfect for SXSW – it ignited that exhilarating sensation we cherish as programmers. Sharing an unparalleled passion for daring, fearless comedy, Paul Feig and SXSW have a unique bond. From the iconic late-night screening of ‘Bridesmaids’ to the thunderous world premiere of ‘Spy’, his movies embody the essence of our festival – audacious, boundary-pushing projects that enthrall us. We can hardly contain our enthusiasm to collaborate with Paul once more and launch the festival with a film that left our entire team in stitches, shouting for joy, and eagerly rewatching it!

As a cinephile eagerly waiting for the silver screen’s next offerings, I’m thrilled to share that Director Feig announced on X that the sequel to ‘Another Simple Favor’ will be gracing our Prime Video screens on May 1, 2025. The announcement also unveiled the first poster of the upcoming film. Interestingly, this release date positions ‘Another Simple Favor’ as a precursor to the summer movie season, debuting mere hours before Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’

This strategy seems reminiscent of how Prime Video introduced the Anne Hathaway-led romantic drama ‘The Idea of You.’ Released as the closing night film at South by Southwest on Mar. 16, 2024, it then made its way to our screens on May 2, 2024.

Will Blake Lively Attend the Premiere?

There is much speculation among many about whether actress Blake Lively will make an appearance at the premiere of Another Simple Favor, held at South by Southwest. This would be Lively’s first public outing since her legal dispute with director Justin Baldoni over It Ends with Us. The court case has attracted significant attention, as Baldoni appears to be taking numerous steps to undermine Lively’s claims of sexual misconduct, including releasing confidential footage and a voice message he sent her.

Starting in early January 2025, during the escalation of the legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni, rumors surfaced online that Prime Video might postpone the release of Another Simple Favor due to a disagreement between Lively and her co-star Anna Kendrick. However, director Paul Feig swiftly debunked this speculation, labeling it “nonsense,” and subsequently disclosed that the streaming platform had a predetermined release schedule that benefited the movie. As a result, the plan is now transparent, and Another Simple Favor is set to debut almost seven years after its predecessor unexpectedly dominated the box office. Although it’s unfortunate that Another Simple Favor won’t have a theatrical run, there is a strong possibility that viewers will flock to Prime Video during the first week of May.

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2025-02-05 18:03