The director of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has commended the movie’s actors’ public support of Blake Lively amid her current career controversies. Lively gained her breakout role in that coming-of-age story from the director Ken Kwapis in 2006, continued to find success in its sequel, as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, and recently with the romantic drama It Ends with Us. While this Colleen Hoover adaptation was a hit at the box office, the public fallout between Lively and her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, led to several lawsuits, with both suing each other for defamation.
ScreenRant: It’s wild when you think about how all of them went on to lead their own series.
Ken Kwapis: Yeah, but that wasn’t a surprise to me. What’s most surprising, though, is how close they’ve remained. I only say it’s surprising because it’s rare in show business for things like that to happen. Usually, you work on a film and people have an intense relationship for a short amount of time, and they go their separate ways. But in this case, those four actually became a real-life sisterhood.
ScreenRant: They reunited for Barbie, and then I know the girls wrote that letter supporting Blake. What do you think it was about the original experience that created that bond?
Ken Kwapis: Each of the four characters is so different. I feel like it’s a perfect example of, if they had been more similar to each other, there might not have been such a wonderful chemistry. But each of them is so distinct, and Ann created such unique characters that [elevated] the dynamic they created as a group. That’s the reason we’re talking right now: each of the four individual performances is wonderful, but together on the screen, there’s a chemical thing going on that I don’t want to take any credit for. I felt excited just to turn on the camera and eavesdrop on this wonderful energy between the four of them.
ScreenRant: I mentioned this letter, and only if you’re comfortable talking about it, but they talked about safe work environments on the set. I’m curious what your perspective is, given that you’ve directed these four women, on creating those safe environments.
Ken Kwapis: I make a point of trying to create an atmosphere on the set where people feel safe, acknowledged, and free to play and feel respected. All I can say is when we made Sisterhood, I felt like one of the reasons that the four actors had such a good experience on the picture was that we did that. I say we, not just me, because we as a group created a really healthy working environment for all the actors. But, in particular, for those four.
What Kwapis’ Comments Mean For The Future Of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants
The Entire Cast Still Speaks Highly Of One Another
The It Ends With Us controversy was a highly publicized dispute between Lively and Baldoni that’s still ongoing and has yet to be resolved. With other figures like LIvely’s husband Ryan Reynolds attached to the controversy, her close friend Taylor Swift even being subjected to a now-withdrawn subpoena (via Forbes), it’s been difficult to separate fact from fiction as each has accused the other of staging a smear campaign. However, out of all this controversy, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants stars remained firm in their support.
Will The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants Musical Ever Happen? Original Movie Director Responds 7 Years After Initial Announcement
The ongoing support of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants stars means that a third movie in the series could still be on the cards, with producer Debra Martin Chase stating (via People) that she “would love” to make another movie with Lively in 2024. Discussions about a stage musical version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants have also been ongoing since 2018, so it looks like the franchise could still thrive despite Lively’s ongoing legal battles.
Our Take On Ken Kwapis’ Comments
Kwapis Speaks Highly About All The Co-Stars
Ken Kwapis’ comments highlight the ongoing support The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants stars still have for each other, nearly two decades since the first movie was released. While the full details of the Lively-Baldoni controversy will have to play out in the courts, it’s great that all the film’s co-stars have managed to maintain such a firm friendship amid all the difficulties and tabloid interference of modern Hollywood. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was a movie that celebrates female friendship, and Kwapis’s comment prove the stars have really internalized its values.
Source: Instagram, Forbes, People
