‘A Simple Favor 2’ Director Slams Rumours That Blake Lively Derailed Sequel

Director Paul Feig has denied claims that Blake Lively forced the upcoming sequel ‘A Simple Favor 2’ to be delayed or shelved.
The rumours started recently when a social media user stated, using “insider accounts,” that Lively declined to promote the sequel because of her purported conflicts with Anna Kendrick and her continuing legal battle with ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni. Lively has accused Baldoni of planning a smear campaign against her and of sexually harassing her while their love drama was being filmed. Baldoni responded by suing The New York Times, which broke the story first, alleging that the publication helped spread false information to enhance Lively’s reputation. According to Baldoni’s attorney, the case entails untrue allegations meant to harm his client’s reputation.
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Even while the court case was ongoing, Feig swiftly addressed the sequel rumours, claiming they were baseless. “This is complete bullshit,” he said. The movie is finished and will be available soon. You can’t trust everything you read on social media.
In response to a follow-up query from the same user on the absence of a marketing strategy or release date, Feig explained that post-production tasks, such as editing, scoring, and special effects, need several months and were always planned to be finished by mid-January 2025.
Cast members Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack will return alongside Lively and Kendrick in the sequel, which Amazon Studios and Lionsgate confirmed in 2022. In the new plot, Emily Nelson (Lively) and Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) are going to Italy for Emily’s lavish wedding, where murder and treachery are about to take place.
–Farheen Ali