Here Are The Chances Of 'A Simple Favor' Getting A Sequel

The movie A Simple Favor opens this weekend in theaters. Starring the powerhouse couple of Anna Kendrick as "mommy blogger" Stephanie Smothers and Blake Lively as her best friend Emily Nelson, this hilarious romp is a fun spin on the female-noir genre springing up in the wake of movies like Gone Girl. But with Lively's character having disappeared (perhaps murdered) and a mystery for Smothers to investigate as the plot of the film, fans are wondering, is A Simple Favor getting a sequel?

The movie doesn't necessarily set up a sequel, but considering where all the characters end up, it's not inconceivable they might make one if the film does well enough. It's not spoiling the story to admit here Emily's disappearance is not even close to what it seems, even before Smothers starts playing detective.

Emily's husband, Sean Townsend, played by the suddenly-everywhere Henry Golding and his British accent, manages to keep a look of perpetual surprise going, making it hard to be sure if he's a suspect or a stooge. There are even times when it seems like Kendrick's character Smothers might be hiding a motivation or two which will suddenly turn the tables on the audience watching. Everyone has secrets, even the Greek chorus of nosy neighbors.

Considering the fun escapism the film provides, as well as the laugh-out-loud parody of the suburban lifestyle, director Paul Feig, who also produced the film, might easily be up for another round. With Blake Lively stealing every scene she's in, it's pretty guaranteed she'd come back if asked.

But this is Kendrick's movie more than it is anyone else's. Her Mommy blogger YouTube entries dot the film, giving as much information from the background of the kitchen she's in as the recipes she's shilling. The story takes on national significance as her vlog entries go viral and people around the world write in with their theories, opinions and even one or two useful clues. But it's Smothers who finally puts together the clues and blows everything wide open.

As for how the movie is expected to do this weekend, most outlets assume The Predator will be topping the box office derby. But according to Box Office Mojo, A Simple Favor looks to be acquitting itself well.

Lionsgate's thriller A Simple Favor finds director Paul Feig stepping outside his wheelhouse. Feig, who is best known for comedies such as Bridesmaids and The Heat, directs Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in this R-rated thriller, which will debut in 3,102 locations and isn't looking as if it is going to do half-bad. Industry expectations are in the low-to-mid-teens, and while IMDb page view data shows the film pacing behind the likes of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train leading up to release, it is performing well enough (and has solid reviews) to expect a debut around $17 million isn't at all unreasonable.

A Simple Favor may be a thriller, but it's the most fun I've had watching one this year. The movie is playing in theaters now.