Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively have been pictured for their new Amazon Prime Video film Another Simple Favor, amid rumours that the two leading ladies are still locked in a ‘secret feud’. Suspicions began over the friendship of the stars back in 2018 when the first movie, A Simple Favor, was released. During several press interviews, fans began to speculate whether there was bad blood between the actresses.

When the sequel was announced in 2022, fans were surprised, as the original didn’t have any loose ends to explore, and two actresses reportedly hated each other on set.

Following the announcement, interviews of the duo from the original film resurfaced, displaying a tangible air of awkwardness. During one exchange, the pair recounted how a call-time change had left Kendrick, 39, waiting an hour for Lively, 37, to arrive. The Pitch Perfect star quipped, “That was the day I decided I hate you. We were all talking s**t about you.” In another interview, Kendrick also claimed to have muted Lively on social media. In another, the Trolls actress commented: “I thought she seemed nice, and little did I know..." and instructed her co-star not to touch her.

However, many disregarded the rumours, putting the tension down to the fact that both actresses are known to have a dry and sarcastic sense of humour, which they believe has simply been misconstrued. Over social media, it became a bit more apparent that the alleged feud was simply humourous, as Lively declared Kendrick to be the female version of her husband Ryan.

At the time, neither actress publicly addressed the feud speculation, although as the memorable interview moments began to rack up fans noticed they started promoting the film separately more often.

Rumours of their feud kicked off again in March when, during a promotional meeting for the sequel, Anna made a telling comment about her co-star. While signing autographs and posing for selfies with fans, she was asked by one crowd member what it was like to be working with Blake, who is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Justin Baldoni, again.

The Alice, Darling, star responded bluntly: “Oh, you know.“ The remark was a huge contrast to Blake's comments about working with Anna. When she was asked the same question in reverse, she said: “Oh, it's the best; I'm so happy.“

In another clip of Anna doing the rounds on social media, a reporter asked Kendrick: “How do you feel that the movie is being impacted by everything going on… in the world?” While the question could have been about the economic strife caused by Trump’s tariffs, the threat of World War III, or the ongoing genocide in Palestine, it might also have been a reference to the legal dramas surrounding her co-star.

Appearing unconcerned, Kendrick responded with a smile before moving along the line: "Why? What happened? I did Ayahuasca, and the last year of my life has just gone, but I’ve heard the movie is amazing!”

Her comments appeared to reference Lively’s ongoing legal battle with actor-director Justin Baldoni, her co-star in It Ends With Us. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual assault and launching a smear campaign against her in a lawsuit filed in December. Reports have suggested Kendrick is frustrated by the lawsuit overshadowing their film.

The pair also kept their distance while promoting their upcoming film Another Simple Favor at the SXSW Film Festival on Saturday (12 April), fuelling ongoing rumours of tension between the co-stars. In the new photos of the cast, Anna and Blake appeared to put on a united front for the cameras along with director Paul Feig. Other cast members, including Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, and Alex Newell, joined the photo, flashing smiles despite the speculation.

The original film follows widowed single mother Stephanie Smothers, played by Kendrick, who befriends the mysterious Emily Nelson, played by Lively, shortly before she disappears. Another Simple Favor follows the characters Stephanie and Emily as they travel to Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding.

Another Simple Favor will be released on Thursday 1st May on Amazon Prime Video.