Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s ‘A Simple Favor’ Sequel to Open SXSW
Another Simple Favor, the sequel to 2018 thriller A Simple Favor, is set to open the 2025 SXSW film and TV festival. Additionally, it has been announced that the film will be available to stream on Amazon MGM’s Prime on May 1.
The announcement ends speculation about when the film would pop up amid star Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with It Ends with Us director Justin Baldoni. Last month, Paul Feig shut down unfounded rumors circulating on social media that it was shelved amid the Lively legal battle, writing, “This is total BS. Sorry. The movie is finished and coming out soon.”
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Feig is back to direct the sequel that sees Anna Kendrick and Lively return as Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson. Another Simple Favor takes place in the lead up to Emily’s lavish wedding a wealthy Italian businessman on the island of Capri; murder and betrayal follow.
Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Henry Golding and Allison Janney are also among the cast.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back at my favorite festival in the world where we successfully launched Bridesmaids and Spy, and I cannot begin to say how honored I am to have our film opening it all,” said Feig. “I’ve avoided making sequels to any of my films but these characters were just too much fun not to revisit. So, to be able to have Anna, Blake, Henry, Andrew, Michele, Elizabeth, Alex and myself watch our film with the great SXSW audience is a bucket list event that I’ll be able to check off March 7th and move playing drums for Dwight Yoakum’s band up to the top slot.”
The SXSW premiere comes as Lively is embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Baldoni. On Monday, Lively and Baldoni’s lawyers met in court for the first time where U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ordered the attorneys to comply with a federal court rule barring lawyers from making statements to the press that could prejudice the case. Currently, the trial is set for March 2026.
Another Simple Favor joins and already announced line-up that includes Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s series The Studio, Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2, and A24 Jenna Ortega starrer Death of a Unicorn.
“When we saw this film last fall, we instantly knew it had to open SXSW – it gave us that electric feeling we live for as programmers,” said festival head Claudette Godfrey. “
Added Amazon MGM head Jen Salke, “Paul Feig has once again delivered the perfect blend of mystery, wit, and unexpected twists in the highly anticipated Another Simple Favor. The cast, led by the extraordinarily talented Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, brings life to a script that propels the sequel to new heights.”
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