Paul Feig has once again come to Blake Lively's defense. The Another Simple Favor director was quick to shut down rumors of a feud between Lively and her costar Anna Kendrick, during a recent chat with Esquire. "Blake is an amazing collaborator, so when I read people’s misconceptions about how movies are made, it’s just frustrating for me,” the filmmaker said.
"Every star I’ve worked with works this way. The idea that a star just shows up and you go 'Here’s the script' — please point me to one movie star who works that way." "When the gang on the internet get [up in arms] about something, it’s just like, 'Guys, you don’t know what you’re talking about.'
I love working with Blake — she’s just the best," he continued, Paul Feig and Blake Lively. Swan Gallet/WWD/Penske Media via Getty In addition to the feud rumors, Lively continues to make headlines amid her ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni. Feig made his support of Lively clear in the early days of the conflict, and remains weary of the heated reaction to Lively on social media.
"Outrage is the most boring emotion humans have these days," Feig said. "When it’s towards something meaningful, that’s great. But people get outraged at everything?
It’s like, this is what you’re angry about?" "There’s other things to be outraged about — please, go and help make the world a better place," he concluded. Last year, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his film studio Wayfarer (after first filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department), accusing him of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a smear campaign against her in the aftermath.
Baldoni then filed his own lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and breach of contract. Feig was among many celebrities who defended Lively in the immediate wake of the complaint, speaking highly of his time working with her on 2018's A Simple Favor and its newly released sequel. "I've now made two movies with Blake, and all I can say is she's one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I've ever worked with," Feig wrote last year on X.
"She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it's awful she was put through this." Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in 'Another Simple Favor'.
Prime video Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Another Simple Favor reunited Lively, Kendrick and Feig for a twisty black comedy about a mommy blogger turned amateur detective and the murderous con-artist whose life she gets drawn back into.
Although directing the film meant breaking his no-sequel rule, Feig has already indicated that he's ready for round 3. "It's all sitting right there to be picked off the tree," he told Entertainment Weekly of a potential third movie. "Look, as much as I don't like to do sequels and have avoided them, I have no rule against three-quels.
There's much more fun to be had with these characters and to see what they can get into and how they can get out of it." Another Simple Favor is now streaming on Prime Video.
