Paul Feig has made a lot of successful movies, but until now, he’s never made a sequel. While there were no doubt potential sequels in the works for his ultra-successful comedies like Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy, for one reason or another, they never happened. However, that all changes this week when Another Simple Favor, the sequel to his hit comedic thriller, A Simple Favor, which hits Prime Video today.

In it, Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively return as friendly enemies, Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson, who finds themselves embroiled in yet another murder mystery while attending the latter’s destination wedding in Capri. I caught the movie at SXSW (read my review HERE) and enjoyed it. Thus, I was happy to sit down with Paul Feig, who, as always, was immaculately attired (he’s known as the most stylishly dressed director in Hollywood). In our chat, we talked about why he opted to make this his first sequel, the difference between shooting for the big screen vs streaming, Henry Golding’s against-type casting, and the public’s ongoing fascination with Blake Lively. He also talks about whether or not this could turn into a franchise, which seems like a distinct possibility.

Check out our interview, embedded above, and catch Another Simple Favor which is streaming on Prime Video now!

The post Interview: Paul Feig on Another Simple Favor, sequels and Blake Lively appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), who’s reinvented herself as an amateur investigator (as well as being a mommy blogger), is convinced by her old foe, Emily (Blake Lively), to attend her extravagant destination wedding in Capri.

REVIEW: A Simple Favor was a surprisingly effective potboiler, anchored by two ace performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. Plus, it had snappy direction from Paul Feig and a tight script that somehow managed to take some vast cliches and make them feel fresh. As such, the only thing surprising about a sequel being made is that Amazon’s opting to premiere this on streaming, despite Lively’s last movie making $300 million worldwide – controversy be damned.

While not as inspired as the original and more of a retread than expected, the gorgeous scenery (well-photographed by John Schwartzman) and an especially good turn by Lively make it worthwhile. Emily Nelson is surely the best role of her career, with her getting more screen time than she did in the original, thanks to an added twist (which I won’t reveal here). While Lively looks terrific in her jaw-dropping wardrobe, she sinks her teeth into the camp aspect of the role, playing well off Kendrick, whose Stephanie is portrayed as a little less naive in this instalment.  

Most of the co-stars from the first movie return, with Henry Golding intriguingly cast against type. In the first film, his character, Sean, is presented as a bit of a trophy husband, but Golding’s charm is dialled down, with the character having gone to seed in the years since the last film. Oddly, he’s never been more likeable. 365 Days star Michele Morrone plays Emily’s mobbed-up, new would-be husband, but like Golding in the original, seems to have been cast to up the beefcake quotient more than anything else – which is understandable given the target audience.

Where the movie falters is in the inclusion of too many red herrings, including Allison Janney as Emily’s sinister aunt, who arrives with her addled mother (Elizabeth Perkins – filling in for Jean Smart) in tow. When you have someone like Lively having such a whale of a time playing a quasi-antagonist, it’s a shame they inevitably water her down somewhat (softening her rough edges way too much) to perhaps pave the way for a third instalment, which seems like a questionable proposition now.

It’s not that Another Simple Favor is bad – in its own way, the sequel is kind of fun. It’s just that it’s so unnecessary and seems to undo everything that made the original such a romp. Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie follows the same beats she did in the original, with her again being haunted by guilt over a traumatic death. In the first movie, it was her husband and half-brother/ lover. In this one, we find out that a case she was investigating led to the suicide of someone who may have been innocent, which would have given her an interesting wrinkle. Still, the movie seems afraid to commit to the notion that she is fallible. 

The film is also loaded with extraneous characters, with Alex Newell, Stephanie’s agent, tagging along on the European getaway for no reason and then being given absolutely nothing to do. The movie, which—like the first—embraces the camp aspect, goes overboard in its resolution, with everything wrapped up in too tidy a package.

However, the scenery is gorgeous, the leads are fun, and Feig’s thrown in some choice needle drops, including Ennio Morricone’s Once Upon a Time in the West theme. It’s absolutely watchable, if not a patch on the surprisingly rock-solid original. It should prove to be a big streaming hit for Prime Video, and while it’s not a movie that cried out to be made, taken as a lark, it’s good fun. 

Another Simple Favor

AVERAGE

6

The post Another Simple Favor Review: a fun lark but not as good as the original appeared first on JoBlo.

Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig has reteamed with his A Simple Favor stars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick for the sequel Another Simple Favor, which is set to be released through the Prime Video streaming service on May 1st. With the premiere date just two weeks (and a few days) away, a new trailer has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

In addition to Lively and Kendrick, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack all reprise their roles from the first movie. New additions include Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Elena Sofia Ricci (Loose Cannons), Michele Morrone (365 Days), Elizabeth Perkins (Sharp Objects), Alex Newell (Glee), Taylor Ortega (Welcome to Flatch), and Lorenzo de Moor (WarHunt).

If you’re not familiar with A Simple Favor – or if you saw the movie and have since completely forgotten what it was about, like I did – it told the story of “mommy blogger Stephanie (Kendrick), who befriends Emily (Lively), a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.” Jessica Sharzer, who wrote the screenplay for the first film (which was based on the 2017 novel of the same name by author Darcey Bell), returned to write the sequel, with Feig, Laeta Kalogridis, and Steve Yockey also working on the script. Feig and Laura Fischer are producing Another Simple Favor for Feigco Entertainment, while Sharzer serves as executive producer.

The official synopsis for Another Simple Favor reads: Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. 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.

JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray already had the chance to watch the movie and gave it a 6/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK. Bumbray wrote that it is “absolutely watchable, if not a patch on the surprisingly rock-solid original.”

What did you think of the new trailer for Another Simple Favor? Are you looking forward to this sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and take a look at this new poster while you’re scrolling down:

The post Another Simple Favor trailer: Paul Feig, Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick sequel reaches Prime Video soon appeared first on JoBlo.

The sequel to Paul Feig’s twisty-turney mystery comedy A Simple Favor, titled Another Simple Favor, aims to weave an even bigger web as the movie premiered at SXSW. Our Chris Bumbray was present at its screening and thought it was pretty fun, though not as good as the original as he said in his review, “It’s absolutely watchable, if not a patch on the surprisingly rock-solid original. It should prove to be a big streaming hit for Prime Video, and while it’s not a movie that cried out to be made, taken as a lark, it’s good fun.”

The film has a bit of controversy to navigate with its star, Blake Lively, currently being in an on-going case of harassment from her It Ends with Us director. However, Deadline reveals that actress Sharon Stone has thrown shade at it as she reveals in a snide way that she had been cut from the film unexpectedly. In an Instagram reel that featured footage of the film’s premiere at SXSW, Stone would leave a comment on it that read,

I LOVED being cast and removed from my role unexpectedly for no reason at all LOVED it ”

Stone was not reported to have had involvement with the film prior to its premiere, so it is not known what role she played and how it affected the movie, but the Basic Instinct star is definitely taken aback by her part getting cut and is not going to sit idly by about it.

The official synopsis for Another Simple Favor reads: “Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. 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.“

Directed by Paul Feig from a script by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis, the film stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack all reprise their roles from the first movie. New additions include Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Elena Sofia Ricci (Loose Cannons), Michele Morrone (365 Days), Elizabeth Perkins (Sharp Objects), Alex Newell (Glee), Taylor Ortega (Welcome to Flatch), and Lorenzo de Moor (WarHunt).

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back at my favorite festival in the world where we successfully launched Bridesmaids and Spy, and I cannot begin to say how honored I am to have our film opening it all,” Feig said after the SXSW announcement. “I’ve avoided making sequels to any of my films but these characters were just too much fun not to revisit. So, to be able to have Anna, Blake, Henry, Andrew, Michele, Elizabeth, Alex and myself watch our film with the great SXSW audience is a bucket list event that I’ll be able to check off March 7th and move playing drums for Dwight Yoakum’s band up to the top slot.“

The post Sharon Stone reveals she was suddenly dropped from Another Simple Favor appeared first on JoBlo.

Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig has reteamed with his A Simple Favor stars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick for the sequel Another Simple Favor, which is set to premiere at SXSW on March 7th, followed by a release through the Prime Video streaming service on May 1st. With the premiere date right around the corner, a teaser trailer for the film has dropped online, and you can check it out in the embed above.

In addition to Lively and Kendrick, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack all reprise their roles from the first movie. New additions include Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Elena Sofia Ricci (Loose Cannons), Michele Morrone (365 Days), Elizabeth Perkins (Sharp Objects), Alex Newell (Glee), Taylor Ortega (Welcome to Flatch), and Lorenzo de Moor (WarHunt).

If you’re not familiar with A Simple Favor – or if you saw the movie and have since completely forgotten what it was about, like I did – it told the story of “mommy blogger Stephanie (Kendrick), who befriends Emily (Lively), a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.” Jessica Sharzer, who wrote the screenplay for the first film (which was based on the 2017 novel of the same name by author Darcey Bell), returned to write the sequel, with Feig, Laeta Kalogridis, and Steve Yockey also working on the script. Feig and Laura Fischer are producing Another Simple Favor for Feigco Entertainment, while Sharzer serves as executive producer.

The official synopsis for Another Simple Favor reads: Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. 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.

What did you think of the teaser trailer for Another Simple Favor? Are you looking forward to this sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Another Simple Favor teaser trailer: Paul Feig, Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick sequel reaches Prime Video in May appeared first on JoBlo.

It was recently announced that Another Simple Favor will have its world premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival next month, and Prime Video has now released a first-look image of the sequel. You can check that out below.

Directed by Paul Feig from a script by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis, the film stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Elena Sofia Ricci, with Henry Golding, and Allison Janney

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back at my favorite festival in the world where we successfully launched Bridesmaids and Spy, and I cannot begin to say how honored I am to have our film opening it all,” Feig said after the SXSW announcement. “I’ve avoided making sequels to any of my films but these characters were just too much fun not to revisit. So, to be able to have Anna, Blake, Henry, Andrew, Michele, Elizabeth, Alex and myself watch our film with the great SXSW audience is a bucket list event that I’ll be able to check off March 7th and move playing drums for Dwight Yoakum’s band up to the top slot.“

I haven’t seen the first movie, which was based on the novel by Darcey Bell, but it did receive largely positive reviews and grossed close to $100 million worldwide. Enough to get the ball rolling on a sequel. There was a rumour making the rounds that the sequel would be shelved because of Lively’s ongoing feud with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. However, Feig was quick to call it out. “This is total BS,” he said. “The movie is finished and coming out soon.“

The official synopsis for Another Simple Favor reads: “Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. 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.“

Following its premiere at SXSW on March 7th, Another Simple Favor will be released on Prime Video on May 1st.

The post Another Simple Favor: Prime Video drops first look at the Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick sequel appeared first on JoBlo.

And now for a different kind of Blake Lively news! Plans for the annual SXSW festival are heating up, and we’ve learned that Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s A Simple Favor sequel is getting a title chance in addition to screening during the celebration’s opening night. The sequel, now titled Another Simple Favor, finds Lively and Kendrick reprising their roles as Emily Nelson and Stephanie Smothers, respectively. Briefly, it sounded like Another Simple Favor would be shelved because of Blake Lively’s ongoing feud with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. However, Another Simple Favor director Paul Feig said, “This is total BS. The movie is finished and coming out soon.”

Feig directs the sequel from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer. Another Simple Favor follows Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson as they head to the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. Allison Janey, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Elizabeth Perkins, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancheria, and Bashir Salahuddin also star.

Another Simple Favor follows the release of Feig’s 2018 dark comedy A Simple Favor. It focuses on Stephanie, a single mother with a parenting vlog who befriends Emily, a secretive upper-class woman with a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate. A Simple Favor holds an 84% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes after 258 reviews.

A Simple Favor cast members Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, Henry Golding, and Allison Janney will all reprise their roles from the first movie. Feig and Laura Fischer produce Another Simple Favor for Feigco Entertainment, while Jessica Sharzer serves as executive producer.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back at my favorite festival in the world where we successfully launched Bridesmaids and Spy, and I cannot begin to say how honored I am to have our film opening it all,” said Feig. “I’ve avoided making sequels to any of my films but these characters were just too much fun not to revisit. So, to be able to have Anna, Blake, Henry, Andrew, Michele, Elizabeth, Alex and myself watch our film with the great SXSW audience is a bucket list event that I’ll be able to check off March 7th and move playing drums for Dwight Yoakum’s band up to the top slot.”

Are you excited about Another Simple Favor hitting screens? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s A Simple Favor sequel gets a title change as the film prepares to screen during SXSW’s opening night appeared first on JoBlo.