Blake Lively And Anna Kendrick Reunite Amid Justin Baldoni Legal Drama

Blake Lively is returning to the world of high-stakes deception and high fashion with "Another Simple Favor," the highly anticipated sequel to his 2018 hit "A Simple Favor." This time, the stylish thriller trades in the manicured suburban landscape for the picturesque shores of Capri, Italy.

The film reunites "A Simple Favor" leads Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick as their characters, Emily and Stephanie, find themselves entangled in another web of lies, betrayal, and murder.

When audiences last saw Emily, she had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murders of her father and sister. Meanwhile, Stephanie was reinventing herself as a private investigator.

Now, "Another Simple Favor" will reveal just how Emily has managed to trade in her orange jumpsuit for a wedding gown. "You find out in the film," Feig teased in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "But let's just say she reconnected with an old flame who has a lot of power."

Stephanie, on the other hand, is struggling when we return to her life. “She continues to be an amateur sleuth,” Feig explained. “She’s in a slight bit of a crisis, but she still does it. She’s just coming through something in that world that backfired on her a little bit. So we’ll meet her not on top of her game.”

Despite his usual aversion to sequels, Feig felt compelled to revisit these characters.

"I resisted doing sequels to any of my movies," he admitted. "But I love these characters so much that I thought, ‘Well, there’s more fun to be had with them.’ But that meant taking them out of their comfort zone."

The new setting of Capri plays a crucial role in the film’s intrigue.

“I liked the idea of an island that you can’t get off unless you take the ferry or a boat,” he added. “I called the first movie Suburban Noir. It was a mystery happening in broad daylight. Anybody can do a movie where it’s dark and scary, but if it’s broad daylight and you’re going, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’ that’s really fun.”

Entertainment Weekly has released exclusive new images from the upcoming film, offering a glimpse into the glamorous and sinister world of "Another Simple Favor."

The newly released batch of images offers a closer look at the film’s stunning Capri setting, complete with luxury boats, sleek sports cars, and, of course, Emily Nelson’s signature killer fashion. Emily’s oversized black-and-white hat instantly commands attention and is one of the biggest stand-out moments.

Director Paul Feig revealed that the bold accessory wasn’t originally planned, but was a last-minute addition by Lively herself. "There's a store there that sells a lot of hats," Feig shared. "Blake went in one day and found that hat, and she was like, 'I found this hat.' We were just like, 'We're in.' It might be the world's biggest hat."

Meanwhile, Kendrick’s Stephanie is captured in a sleek green jumpsuit, clutching a martini with a pensive expression. The images suggest that while both women have evolved, the tension between them remains thick with mystery.

Check out the new photos shared by Entertainment Weekly.

Compared to her power-suit aesthetic in the first film, Lively’s wardrobe in "Another Simple Favor" takes a sharp turn. Feig and his costume designer deliberately crafted a fresh look for Emily, leaning into the glamour of Capri.

"We didn’t want to do the same thing," he explained. "We made her suiting such a powerful thing in the first one because it really matched with the job she was in and the armor that she put around her."

He added, "We still give our nods to the suits, but also, we are sending her into a very glamorous world. She dresses both to impress and to intimidate."

These photos come amid Lively's ongoing legal battle against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni.

Lively accused Baldoni of creating a toxic work environment and filed a sexual harassment complaint, claiming he attempted to "destroy" her reputation. She later sued him for lost wages and emotional distress.

Baldoni denied the allegations and hit back with multiple lawsuits, including a $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times, which first reported on Lively’s claims, and a separate $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, alleging defamation and extortion.

"Another Simple Favor" will premiere at SXSW next month before debuting on Prime Video on May 1.