Blake Lively Ready To Leave 'Villain' Image Behind Ahead Of A Simple Favor 2 Filming: Report

Blake Lively has been in the news this year amid rumours of a feud with Justin Baldoni, the director and co-star of It Ends With Us. She faced backlash for allegedly overshadowing the project alongside her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and for not adequately promoting the film’s central message. As she prepares for A Simple Favor 2 with Anna Kendrick, set for release in 2025, Blake is eager to reshape her public image. A source close to the actress revealed that she wants to avoid being perceived as the “villain” in her future roles. It’s worth noting that Blake and Kendrick had a rocky relationship during the filming of the first A Simple Favor in 2018, where they reportedly stopped speaking to each other by the shoot’s end.

An insider speaking with Life & Style said, “Blake has now had the biggest direct hit of her career with It Ends With Us but she’s not going to let herself be permanently painted as the villain every project she does going forward. In fact, she is pushing back against that strongly and making sure her real allies know just how much they are valued.”

The source mentions that Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick have successfully set aside their differences to collaborate on A Simple Favor 2, which many thought wouldn’t be possible. The source also adds that Blake is open to doing more films in the future as long as the projects are beneficial for her career. They highlight that any past conflicts with Justin Baldoni or anyone else will not prevent her from working on new opportunities.

“Sony is holding out hope that Blake and Justin Baldoni can come to some kind of understanding to get the It Ends With Us sequel off the ground in the next 18 months. They’re doing everything they can to make that happen, while respecting Justin and Blake for the job they’ve already done. IEWU is all about money, and it always has been,” added the source.

Even though Blake Lively is open to working on the It Ends With Us sequel, Justin Baldoni had previously mentioned that he doesn’t want to be involved in the sequel, It Starts With Us. In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, he believed that there were more suitable people for the project and according to him, Blake would be a great choice to direct the film.