Amazon allegedly put the sequel to “A Simple Favor” on hold, but director Paul Feig disputes this. Social media is abuzz about the film’s situation, and this statement comes at the same time.
Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick star in the follow-up to the successful 2018 crime thriller. Principal shooting ended in April 2024, and the film is now in post-production. Feig talked about the rumours openly and said they were “total BS.” Fans were told not to believe false information going around online, and he stressed, “The movie is finished and coming out soon.”
One of the first posts about the reports was on X (formerly Twitter). It implied the sequel was pushed back because of alleged problems between the lead actors. According to the post, Lively’s ongoing legal problems with actor Justin Baldoni made her hesitant to promote the film. It was also said that Kendrick was “furious” about what was going on and that the production had been “imploded.”
To be clear, Feig used social media to say that post-production usually takes a few months. He said, “It’s called post-production, which generally takes over half a year at least when you factor in editing, scoring, special effects, sound mixing, close captioning, and all the technical quality control that has to be done.”
The sequel follows “A Simple Favor,” which made $97.6 million internationally on a $20 million budget. In the first film, Kendrick plays Stephanie Smothers, a writer who investigates how her friend Emily Nelson, played by Lively, could have gone missing.
Feig was excited about the film’s progress and the performances of both actors. “The movie is great, and Blake and Anna perform well.” “I can’t wait for you all to see it,” he said, indicating that it might come out in the spring or summer of 2025.
Thoughts on this matter come at a tough time for Lively, who is in a legal battle with Baldoni. In December 2024, she told the California Civil Rights Department that she thought he had sexually abused her. Because of this case, more legal steps have been taken, including lawsuits by Baldoni against different people.
They are making “A Simple Favor 2” with Amazon Studios and Lionsgate. As long as post-production goes as planned, the release date should be announced in the next few months.