Why Director Paul Feig Tried to Kill ‘Simple Favor’ Sequel
Before you start assuming Paul Feig is the villain of this story (he’s not—trust us), let’s clear something up: Feig wasn’t actively sabotaging the idea of A Simple Favor sequel because he didn’t believe in the project (or maybe he just had a sixth sense and predicted that Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us legal drama would affect his movie).
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Feig admitted that he wasn’t initially keen on the idea of revisiting the story of Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Lively). His reasoning? He’s scared to disappoint fans of the first film.
Simple Favor 2
Feig said that they have worked on the script “forever,” that he tried to “kill that project many times” and how terrifying it was. He even admitted to throwing out a greenlit whole script, saying, “I was reading the response from people who were so excited for a sequel, and I thought, ‘This is not what they want.’ So, we got together with the writers and threw out that 70 percent of what we had and then made it into what it is — only because Laura just kept saying ‘We have to do this.’ I didn’t want to f— it up. So, I’m really happy about how it came out.”
Mae Abdulbaki of Screen Rant wrote that the two films’ “detachment from any true sense of reality made it an incredibly fun watch.” She called it “campy” and “not trying to be something it’s not.” According to her, Another Simple Favor is “weird and fun and over-the-top, which is what makes it so watchable.”
Brian Tallerico at RogerEbert.com gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars and called the film’s story “absolutely ludicrous,” which makes it perhaps “a success that it’s just enough escapist fun for most viewers.”
Simple Favor 3?
Most of the film’s reviews highlighted the relationship between Stephanie and Emily, played to perfection by Kendrick and Lively. However, if the rumors are to be believed, the possibility of a third movie is unlikely since news outlets keep on reporting that the two leads are feuding (Who’s surprised? We’re not). Feig also needed to defend his movie’s lead a couple of times. He tweeted a reply to a now-deleted tweet about “Blake Lively’s refusal to promote—amid her messy legal battle with Justin Baldoni—and growing tensions with Anna Kendrick. Anna is furious. Paul Feig is disappointed. Hollywood is in shock.”
During the film’s premiere at SXSW, a reporter asked Kendrick what it means to be working with Lively again. The Pitch Perfect actress replied with, “Oh, you know,” making fans speculate that the rumor of a feud is true.
Another Simple Favor will be available to stream on May 1 on Prime Video.
