Why did 'Another Simple Favor' drop Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin?

Blake Lively’s sequel Another Simple Favor will no longer feature Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, replacing it with director Paul Feig’s Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin instead

Feig confirmed the switch in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating, “There’s no more Aviation. This movie is all Artingstall’s all the time.”

The change comes despite the first film, A Simple Favor (2018), prominently featuring Aviation Gin in a key martini scene with Lively’s character, Emily Nelson. At the time, Feig admitted he included Reynolds’ gin after Lively suggested it, but now he’s opting for his own brand, which launched in 2020.

Lively’s career has been in the spotlight lately, not just for her upcoming film but also for her ongoing legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The actress sued Baldoni in December, accusing him of sexual harassment and a smear campaign. Baldoni countersued both Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, citing defamation and civil extortion.

Meanwhile, Feig has publicly defended Lively, praising her professionalism and collaboration. The Another Simple Favor director recently responded to an Instagram comment about the film, clarifying, “It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but supportive.”

The Another Simple Favor sequel is set to debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 7, 2025, before its theatrical release.