Shake up those martinis, ladies, and put on your favorite deconstructed tuxedo, because A Simple Favor is coming back for more. On Wednesday, Deadline announced that a sequel to the 2018 comedic thriller starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively directed by Paul Feig is officially in the works.
Kendrick and Lively will reprise their roles, according to Deadline. Feig is set to direct the sequel with a script written by Jessica Sharzer, who penned the original screenplay based on Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel. A Simple Favor followed Kendrick as Stephanie Smothers, a widowed mommy vlogger, and the friendship she struck up with Emily Nelson, a P.R. maven with more than a few dark secrets of her own, played by Lively. When Nelson mysteriously goes missing, it’s up to Smothers to find her, with each step she takes unveiling a truly absurd plot twist. The first film also starred Henry Golding, Linda Cardellini, Andrew Rannells, and the inimitable Jean Smart. As of yet, none of them have confirmed or denied their involvement in the sequel—but with A Simple Favor, you never know.
In addition to being both a critical and commercial hit, A Simple Favor has earned a status as a sort of cult favorite, amassing an impressive queer following due, in part, to Lively’s gonzo performance as a dominant queer woman and her character’s impeccable, gender-neutral outfits. In 2020, Lively appeared as a guest on The Whole Movie Podcast: A Simple Pod, an entire podcast devoted to the film. We trust the sick and twisted minds behind A Simple Favor to deliver but one piece of advice: For the love of God, bring back Patti Harrison’s assistant, Kiko.
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