Paul Feig has put an end to rumors circulating that Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick felt uneasy while promoting their latest film, "Another Simple Favor," at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival this week. The director, who was present at the premiere events alongside the movie's cast in Austin, Texas, on March 7th, addressed the speculation of a recent falling out between the two actresses, who had previously collaborated with the 62-year-old Feig on "A Simple Favor."
On March 8th, YouTuber Melanie King posted a picture of the two actresses on her channel, alleging that 37-year-old Lively was "terrified to walk the carpet" and that 39-year-old Kendrick "never wants to work with [Lively] again." However, Feig swiftly refuted these claims a day later.
"Um... you’re wrong," wrote Feig, who participated in a Q&A session for "Another Simple Favor" with Lively, Kendrick, and other cast members at the Paramount Theatre during the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Both Lively and Kendrick addressed the possibility of working together again during the SXSW premiere, with Lively calling the reunion with her co-star "the best," while Kendrick offered a quick, "Oh, you know," as they greeted fans.
Later in the day, during the Q&A session, which also featured Feig, Henry Golding, and others, Lively and Kendrick were seen laughing together, engaging in side conversations, and sharing insights into the filming process.
"Another Simple Favor," the sequel to Feig's popular 2018 comedy-mystery, follows Kendrick's character Stephanie and Lively's character Emily as they travel to the stunning island of Capri, Italy, for Emily's lavish wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman.
During the SXSW premiere, the duo discussed their connection to their respective characters and Feig's "curveball idea" of shooting in Italy. In October, Kendrick told PEOPLE that reuniting with Lively on set was "lovely." "She lives on the East Coast, I live on the West Coast, so we don't get to see each other often," Kendrick said at the time. "But it was lovely, and I think those characters have such a unique chemistry that it's so fun to get the gang back together. It feels a bit like riding a bike."
The movie's SXSW screening marked Lively's first premiere since her legal battle with her "It Ends with Us" director/co-star Justin Baldoni began, and one of the few public appearances she has made since then. She and her husband Ryan Reynolds made an appearance last month at the "SNL50: The Anniversary Special."
A source told PEOPLE earlier this year that there was "really no drama or rift" between Kendrick and Lively. As for Feig, the director told PEOPLE on the SXSW red carpet that working with the film's two stars and the rest of the cast again was "a dream come true."
"It was too much fun. Too much fun," Feig exclaimed. "I had such a great experience on the first one. It always stuck with me, like, 'God, I love working with the two of them' — as well as the rest of the cast." He added, "So, coming up with this sequel was like, 'We gotta get something that gives them both something great and new to do, that can include the old cast but bring in a bunch of new characters.' And I always wanted to shoot something in Capri, so it was a dream come true to get to figure that one out."
"Another Simple Favor" will begin streaming on Prime Video on May 1st.
