Crack out your highest heels and deepest wine glasses—A Simple Favor is coming back. The high glamor (or rather, J.Crew-styled) mystery comedy is returning for a sequel, tapping Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick to return under the direction of Paul Feig, Deadline has reported.
The martini-clad first film didn’t really leave anything up in the air as it wrapped back in 2018. A Simple Favor followed drab single mother Stephanie (Kendrick) who, looking to spice up her vlogs, befriends entrancing fashion coordinator Emily (Lively). In true Gone Girl fashion, Emily’s luxurious life twists into madness after she goes missing, with Stephanie following the clues up until the bitter end.
It’s high time for Blake Lively to start clearing out her closet, which is full of stunning Met Gala gowns and, apparently, no shoes. Why? With this A Simple Favor sequel in the works, Lively’s got a whole array of brand new pantsuits on the way. The first installation of the mystery saga featured sleeveless cuffs, a suit full of sideboob, and a whole Hillary Clinton’s worth of other pantsuits.
But for Anna Kendrick, it’s back to stuffy sweaters and copycat dresses. Or, perhaps she’ll outshine her golden-haired co-star, who, spoiler alert, was left bawling in prison at the end of the original film. That being said, if A Simple Favor 2 wants to succeed, they’d best find a way for Blake Lively to escape prison and return to her pinstriped, sequined, and polka-dotted closet.
Fans of A Simple Favor teamed up all over Twitter today to shower Feig, Lively, and Kendrick with praise, hyped up for the sequel to start production. “Oh hell yea. Sign me up,” one Twitter user shared. “A SIMPLE FAVOR is one of the most underrated films in the last ten years. Blake Lively should have gotten tons of awards love.”
There’s just one big issue with this announcement: Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s alleged feud that took place on set of the first film. While neither actress has confirmed the rumor and co-star Henry Golding denied the claim— this sequel news also seems to negate the gossip—a viral TikTok accusing the actresses of fighting on set has started recirculating after the sequel news broke.
“They HATED each other,” an Instagram DM from someone who “worked for Lionsgate” reads. “The studio even had to have a talk with them about making it look like they liked each other on press tours because it was starting to get obvious.”
But maybe a feud (if the rumors are true) is exactly what the catty movie needs to spark tension all over again heading into production on A Simple Favor 2. Authentic passive aggressiveness over martinis? Sign me up.
