Anna Kendrick, Paul Feig, Blake Lively attend SXSW premiere of ‘Another Simple Favor’ in March 2025. Photo:
Hubert Vestil/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty
Paul Feig is shutting down rumors that Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick were uncomfortable while promoting Another Simple Favor at SXSW this week.
The director — who attended premiere events alongside the movie’s cast in Austin, Texas, on Friday, March 7 — addressed speculation of a recent rift between the pair, who previously teamed up with Feig, 62, for A Simple Favor.
After YouTuber Melanie King shared a photo on X of the two actresses on Saturday, March 8, alleging that Lively, 37, was “terrified to walk the carpet” and Kendrick, 39, “never wants to work with [Lively] again,” Feig shut down her claims a day later.
“Um … you’re wrong,” wrote Feig, who attended an Another Simple Favor Q&A with Lively, Kendrick and other members of the cast at the Paramount Theatre during the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively laugh with each other at the SXSW premiere of ‘Another Simple Favor’. Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Gett
Lively and Kendrick both touched on working together again during the SXSW premiere, when Lively called reuniting with her costar “the best,” as Kendrick shared a quick, “Oh, you know,” while both actresses were busy greeting fans.
Later in the day, during the Q&A — which also featured Feig, Henry Golding and others — Lively and Kendrick laughed alongside each other, had side conversations and shared some insight into the filming process.
Another Simple Favor, the sequel to Feig’s popular 2018 comedy mystery, follows Kendrick’s character Stephanie and Lively’s character Emily as they “head to the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman,” per a synopsis.
During the SXSW premiere, the duo discussed their connection to their respective characters and Feig’s “curveball idea” of shooting in Italy. Kendrick previously told PEOPLE in October that reuniting with Lively on set was “lovely.”
“She lives on the East Coast, I live on the West Coast, so we don’t get to see each other often,” Kendrick said at the time. “But it was lovely, and I think that those characters have such weird chemistry that it’s so fun to just get the gang back together. And it does feel a little bit like riding a bike.”
Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick. Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty; Mat Hayward/WireImage
The movie’s SXSW showing marked Lively’s first premiere since her legal battle with her It Ends with Us director/costar Justin Baldoni began — as well as one of the few public appearances she’s made since.
She and husband Ryan Reynolds made an appearance last month at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special.
A source told PEOPLE earlier this year that there “really is no drama or rift” between Kendrick and Lively.
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As for Feig, the director told PEOPLE on the SXSW red carpet that working with the film’s two stars and the rest of the cast again was “a dream come true.”
“It was too much fun. Too much fun,” Feig said. “I mean, I had such a great experience on the first one. It always kind of stuck with me, like, ‘God, I love working with the two of them’ — as well as the rest of the cast.”
“So, you know, coming up with this [sequel] just like, ‘We gotta get something that gives them both something great and new to do that can include the old cast but bring in a bunch of new characters,’ ” he added. “And I always wanted to shoot something in Capri, so it was a dream come true to get to figure that one out.”
Another Simple Favor begins streaming on Prime Video on May 1.
