A Simple Favor Is the Latest Thriller to Get a Sequel With a Disappointing Caveat
It’s never just one favor.
Remember A Simple Favor? It’s okay if you don’t: the 2018 film belongs to something of a bygone era. The 2010s was the decade of Gillian Flynn, desperate housewives, and psychosexual mysteries. A Simple Favor caught the tail end of those trends, but the film was still enough of a commercial success that producers at Lionsgate are set to continue its twisty story with a sequel.
Directed by Ghostbusters’ Paul Feig, A Simple Favor stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as two very different working moms. Kendrick’s Stephanie is a mommy vlogger, while the dapper Emily (Lively, cutting a mean figure in some immaculate suits) is thriving in her mysterious career. What starts as harmless, psychosexual envy turns into a full-blown obsession when Emily suddenly disappears, prompting Stephanie to launch an impromptu investigation.
We won’t spoil the ending here, but with Kendrick and Lively set to return for the sequel, it’s safe to say that both survive the first film. Feig is also back in the director’s chair, and he’s reportedly taking his leading ladies to Capri for A Simple Favor 2.
Blake Lively’s enigmatic housewife is back to cause more mischief in A Simple Favor 2.
The premise for the upcoming film, according to Variety, involves a destination wedding, a filthy-rich Italian businessman, and a whole lot of twists and betrayals. Feig got major points for remixing the classic noir with some wicked humor and a few Gone Girl-inspired twists, so it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts those instincts for the sequel.
The only disappointment is that fans won’t be getting a theatrical release. Unlike its predecessor, which grossed $97 million at the box office, A Simple Favor 2 will premiere exclusively on Prime Video. Lionsgate is partnering with Amazon Studios for the new film, which makes sense, as A Simple Favor is currently streaming on Prime.
We could be witnessing the dawn of a new sequel trend. Netflix secured distribution rights for Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequels in 2021, and it seems like Amazon might have brokered a similar deal for A Simple Favor. It’s a little disappointing, but a straight-to-streaming sequel is better than no sequel at all. Lionsgate is targeting a spring production start date for the film, which could mean we’ll be getting a follow-up sooner than we think.
