Blake Lively is stepping back into the spotlight with her first leading film role since the controversy surrounding It Ends With Us. The actress has been cast in and will also produce The Survival List, a Lionsgate romantic comedy adventure written by Tom Melia. The project marks her most high-profile move since her legal battle with co-star Justin Baldoni dominated headlines for nearly a year.
The film follows Annie, a sophisticated reality TV producer who reluctantly joins a series hosted by Chopper Lane, a supposed survival expert. When the two are shipwrecked on a deserted island, Annie discovers that Chopper is a fraud, leaving her in charge of keeping them alive. What begins as a tense clash soon shifts into unlikely chemistry as they learn to work together. The screenplay blends action, romance and humour, giving Lively both a comedic and dramatic challenge.
Marc Platt, known for producing Wicked and How to Train Your Dragon, is attached as producer alongside Lively. Lionsgate executives are said to be betting on the project as a star-driven crowd-pleaser, hoping her return will draw strong audience interest.
The timing of the announcement has only intensified attention on the actress, who has remained in the public eye through her ongoing legal clash with Baldoni. Lively accused him of sexual harassment in late 2024, while Baldoni filed a countersuit for $400 million. That case has since been dismissed, though the dispute sparked months of industry debate. Social media reaction to her new casting has been divided, with some users celebrating her resilience and others criticising Lionsgate for moving forward with her so quickly.
Still, the 37-year-old has not been absent from screens. Earlier this year she reprised her role alongside Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor, a sequel that premiered at SXSW before debuting on Prime Video. That film was shot in Italy in 2024, prior to the release of It Ends With Us.
Speaking about returning to her favourite character Emily Nelson, Lively said at the premiere that she was thrilled to reunite with Kendrick and director Paul Feig. Now, with The Survival List, the actress appears determined to expand her filmography despite the noise surrounding her private battles. Whether the film becomes a hit or a Hollywood curiosity remains to be seen, but for now, Lively is firmly back on set.
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