Blake Lively’s new film Another Simple Favour has been confirmed to premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival next month amid her ongoing legal woes with Justin Baldoni.
The sequel to 2018’s black comedy mystery A Simple Favour will see Lively’s character Emily Nelson reunite with Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman.
The synopsis further teases: “Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.”
A Simple Favour will serve as the opening night film at this year’s festival on March 7 in Austin, Texas.
There’s no word as yet whether scandal-hit Lively will be attending the premiere or taking part in promotion, but the Paul Feig directed flick will launch globally on streaming service Prime Video from May 1.
Baldoni directed and starred opposite Lively in last year’s romantic drama It Ends With Us, but reports of a feud between them threatened to overshadow the release.
Then, in December, Lively sued him for alleged sexual harassment, including claims that he would ask probing questions about her sex life, would invite his friends into nude scenes with Lively, and would make jokes about Lively’s dead father.
Shortly after Lively filed her lawsuit, The New York Times published an article based on Lively’s claims alleging that Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign against her and amplifying the harassment allegations.
In response, Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and launched a lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of leveraging their celebrity status to take control of his film and damage his career.
Since then, there has been no end to the twists and turns of the legal case which has gripped imaginations and headlines around the world, including Baldoni launching how own website to tell his side of events.
