Blake Lively stepped into the spotlight at the world premiere of A Simple Favor 2 on Friday, March 7, in Austin, Texas, where the film opened the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
The 37-year-old actress was joined by her co-star Anna Kendrick and director Paul Feig, reuniting the trio behind the 2018 hit A Simple Favor.
The premiere comes as Lively remains embroiled in a legal battle with Justin Baldoni, her co-director and co-star in the upcoming film It Ends With Us.
The dispute between Lively and Baldoni, 41, has been making headlines. In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni and others of sexual harassment and launching a retaliatory smear campaign, claims he has denied. Baldoni later countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist in January, alleging defamation and extortion.
In A Simple Favor 2, set to stream on Prime Video starting May 1, Lively returns as Emily, a character who, after being released from prison, invites her frenemy Stephanie (played by Kendrick) to be her maid of honor at a luxurious wedding in Capri, Italy.
The film promises a blend of glamour, suspense, and unexpected twists, with the synopsis hinting, “Murder and betrayal are on the guest list for a wedding filled with more surprises than the winding road from Marina Grande to Capri’s town square.” The ensemble cast also includes Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Henry Golding, and Allison Janney.
Throughout the legal turmoil, director Paul Feig, 62, has been a vocal supporter of Lively. In December, he took to social media to praise her, writing, “Having worked with Blake on two films, I can say she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I’ve ever worked with.”
He doubled down on his support in February, responding to an Instagram comment questioning whether the film was “Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut” by clarifying, “It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but supportive and a dream to work with. She’s an amazing collaborator, and I’m her biggest fan.”
Meanwhile, Brandon Sklenar, Lively’s co-star in It Ends With Us and Feig’s collaborator on the upcoming adaptation of The Housemaid, is also making waves at SXSW with his thriller Drop, which premiered on February 9.
At the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars Party on March 2, Sklenar addressed the legal situation, calling it a “tough situation” and urging people to focus on the message of It Ends With Us. “I hope everyone remembers what the movie is about and why we made it,” he told a source. “It’s about love, supporting women, and helping people through difficult times.”
As the legal battle continues, Lively remains focused on her career, balancing her professional projects with the personal challenges she’s facing.
