Another Simple Favor

{{Infobox film

| image = Another Simple Favor film poster.png

| alt =

| caption = Release poster

| director = Paul Feig

| writer = {{Plainlist|

}}

| based_on = {{based on|Characters|Darcey Bell}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Paul Feig
Laura Fischer

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = John Schwartzman

| editing = Brent White

| music = Theodore Shapiro

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Lionsgate
Feigco Entertainment
Bron Studios
Creative Wealth Media Finance
Big Indie Pictures

}}

| distributor = Amazon MGM Studios

| released = {{Film date|2025|3|7|SXSW|2025|5|1|United States}}

| runtime = 120 minutes{{Cite web |title=Another Simple Favor|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2025/films/2207531 |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=SXSW|language=en|archive-date=February 4, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250204221003/https://schedule.sxsw.com/2025/films/2207531|url-status=live}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Another Simple Favor is a 2025 American black comedy mystery film directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis. It is a sequel to A Simple Favor (2018). Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, and Ian Ho reprise their roles from the first film, with Michele Morrone and Elena Sofia Ricci, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, and Allison Janney.

The film premiered at the South by Southwest Festival on March 7, 2025, and is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video on May 1.

Premise

A murder transpires at Emily's extravagant wedding to an Italian businessman on the island of Capri, Italy.

Cast

{{castlist|

Anna Kendrick as Stephanie Smothers, a author and Miles's mother
Blake Lively as Emily Nelson, Nicky's mother
Henry Golding as Sean Townsend, Emily’s ex-husband and Nicky's father
Andrew Rannells as Darren
Bashir Salahuddin as Detective Summerville
Elizabeth Perkins as Margaret McLinden, Emily’s mother. Perkins replaces Jean Smart, who portrayed the character in the first film.
Michele Morrone as Dante Versano, Emily's fiancée
Elena Sofia Ricci as Portia Versano
Alex Newell as Vicky
Allison Janney as Aunt Linda McLinden, Emily’s aunt and Margaret’s older sister
Joshua Satine as Miles Smothers, Stephanie’s son
Ian Ho as Nicholas "Nicky" Townsend-Nelson, Emily and Sean’s son
Kelly McCormack as Stacy
Taylor Ortega as Agent Irene Walker
Lorenzo de Moor as Matteo Bartolo
Aparna Nancherla as Sona
Jake Tapper as himself

}}

Production

=Pre production=

It was announced in May 2022 that Amazon Studios and Lionsgate had greenlit a sequel to the 2018 film, with Paul Feig returning to direct, and Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprising their roles.{{cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=May 11, 2022 |title=A Simple Favor Sequel Set With Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively & Paul Feig Returning For Amazon Studios & Lionsgate |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/a-simple-favor-sequel-anna-kendrick-blake-lively-paul-feig-lionsgate-partners-with-amazon-studios-1235020860/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511161840/https://deadline.com/2022/05/a-simple-favor-sequel-anna-kendrick-blake-lively-paul-feig-lionsgate-partners-with-amazon-studios-1235020860/ |archive-date=11 May 2022 |access-date=11 May 2022 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} The project would be again confirmed in March 2024, with Henry Golding and Andrew Rannells among the cast also reprising their roles from the first film,{{cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |date=March 27, 2024 |title=A Simple Favor 2 Is a Go: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively Returning for Paul Feig Sequel |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-simple-favor-2-anna-kendrick-blake-lively-paul-feig-1235860967/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327164611/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-simple-favor-2-anna-kendrick-blake-lively-paul-feig-1235860967/ |archive-date=27 March 2024 |access-date=March 27, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=March 28, 2024 |title=Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, Aparna Nancherla & More Join 'A Simple Favor 2' |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/a-simple-favor-2-casts-elizabeth-perkins-alex-newell-aparna-nancherla-more-1235870809/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328173932/https://deadline.com/2024/03/a-simple-favor-2-casts-elizabeth-perkins-alex-newell-aparna-nancherla-more-1235870809/ |archive-date=28 March 2024 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} and Allison Janney among the new additions to the cast.{{cite magazine |last=Stephan |first=Katcy |date=March 28, 2024 |title='A Simple Favor 2' Adds Allison Janney |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/simple-favor-2-cast-allison-janney-1235955424/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329025152/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/simple-favor-2-cast-allison-janney-1235955424/ |archive-date=29 March 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |magazine=Variety}}

=Filming=

Principal photography began in late March 2024. It was previously set to begin in Fall 2023 in Capri and in the Unesco site of Villa Adriana, in Italy.{{cite magazine |last=Parker |first=Ryan |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick's 'A Simple Favor' Sequel Slated to Begin Production in Italy This Fall: Source |url=https://people.com/movies/blake-lively-anna-kendrick-a-simple-favor-sequel-will-be-set-in-italy-source-exclusive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128012912/https://people.com/movies/blake-lively-anna-kendrick-a-simple-favor-sequel-will-be-set-in-italy-source-exclusive/ |archive-date=28 January 2023 |access-date=31 January 2023 |magazine=People}} Filming wrapped on May 26, 2024.{{cite web |last=Adeyemi |first=Boluwatife |date=May 26, 2024 |title=A Simple Favor 2 Gets Major Filming Update From Director |url=https://screenrant.com/a-simple-favor-2-filming-update-paul-feig/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526144436/https://screenrant.com/a-simple-favor-2-filming-update-paul-feig/ |archive-date=26 May 2024 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |website=Screen Rant}}

Release

Another Simple Favor premiered at the South by Southwest Festival on March 7, 2025, and is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video on May 1.{{cite magazine |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=February 4, 2025 |title=Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick's 'A Simple Favor' Sequel Gets Official Title and Sets SXSW Opening Night Premiere |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/a-simple-favor-2-blake-lively-sequel-title-sxsw-premiere-1236296855/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205042259/https://variety.com/2025/film/news/a-simple-favor-2-blake-lively-sequel-title-sxsw-premiere-1236296855/ |archive-date=5 February 2025 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |magazine=Variety}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|81|6.2|32|consensus=Sailing through on the strength of its predecessor, Another Simple Favor is the perfect cocktail of mystery, intrigue, and sharp casting with a dash of well-timed comedy.|ref=yes|access-date=April 12, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250404152241/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/another_simple_favor|archive-date=4 April 2025|url-status=live}} {{Metacritic film prose|57|14|ref=yes|access-date=March 20, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406011917/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/another-simple-favor/|archive-date=6 April 2025|url-status=live}}

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film two and a half out of four stars and wrote, "Despite the change in subject from motherhood to the mafia, Another Simple Favor ends up largely the same as the first in terms of what works and what falters. Lively is once again fantastic, imbuing this character with a degree of captivating uncertainty that throws off the balance of the film when she's not on-screen, and the costumes are gorgeous, rising to the level of the stunning scenery."{{cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=March 8, 2025 |title=Another Simple Favor |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/another-simple-favor-movie-review-2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309065838/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/another-simple-favor-movie-review-2025 |archive-date=9 March 2025 |access-date=March 8, 2025 |website=RogerEbert.com}} Matt Donato of TheWrap gave a three out of five stars and wrote, "Another Simple Favor might not be Emily’s perfection, chilled-glass martini, but that’s fine. Like the everyday martinis Emily shakes in a jiffy, Feig’s sexy and silly criminal caper goes down just fine."{{Cite web |last=Donato |first=Matt |date=2025-03-08 |title='Another Simple Favor' Review: Cartoonish, Over-the-Top Sequel Lacks the Lust and Vigor of Original |url=https://www.thewrap.com/another-simple-favor-review-blake-lively-anna-kendrick-paul-feig/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250308235801/https://www.thewrap.com/another-simple-favor-review-blake-lively-anna-kendrick-paul-feig/ |archive-date=8 March 2025 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}

In a more mixed review, Jacob Oller of The A.V. Club gave the film a C+ grade and wrote, "Though the simplest pleasures of Favor remain—catty chemistry between Kendrick and Lively, loopy twists, bravura statement outfits—the heat powering the concept has cooled to the extent that, despite the increased body count, the sequel feels as perfunctory as its title. It’s just Another one."{{Cite web |title=Another bigger, deadlier, duller Simple Favor |url=https://www.avclub.com/another-simple-favor-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250313003412/https://www.avclub.com/another-simple-favor-review |archive-date=13 March 2025 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-US}}