The following contains spoilers for Another Simple Favor, now streaming on Prime VideoAnother Simple Favor‘s ending leaves the door open for plenty of potential sequels. The follow-up to the Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick kooky thriller A Simple Favor, the new film picks up a few years later. Another Simple Favor‘s cast are brought to the scenic Italian island of Capri for the wedding of Emily and her former flame, Dante. However, a series of murders quickly throws everything into chaos as widowed mother turned amateur detective/best-selling author Stephanie scrambles to figure out what’s really happening.

By Another Simple Favor‘s ending, the killers have been exposed and Emily’s sister Charity has taken her place in prison — leaving Emily free to move around the world at the discretion of her new mafia mother-in-law. It’s an exciting ending, because it resolves the plot at hand while laying plenty of seeds for a potential follow-up. There are plenty of characters, dramas, and potential conflicts set up by the ending of Another Simple Favor that could justify revisiting the setting for a third entry.

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Another Simple Favor Turns Emily Into The Mafia’s Secret Agent

Emily Could Do Lots Of Criminal Work For The Family

Another Simple Favor leaves the door open for plenty of potential sequels, especially regarding Emily’s status as an agent for the Versano family. Another Simple Favor is set off by the engagement between Emily and Dante Versano, the heir to a powerful crime family in Italy. His mother Portia was opposed to this on several levels, with her anger only growing after Dante is murdered on the night of his wedding. After almost having Stephanie killed, Portia learns the full circumstances surrounding Emily and agrees to keep her secret because they are now “family.”

However, she subsequently expects Emily to conduct business for the criminal organization, ending the film by asking her daughter-in-law for a “simple favor.” The idea of Emily being a globetrotting agent of the mafia is an exciting one, as it could throw the crafty con-woman into all sorts of potentially dangerous situations. It could also be a fun way to introduce antagonists who are worse than her, like her aunt Linda or her sister Charity, something that helped ensure audiences could root for her in Another Simple Favor.

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Mattaeo Could Want Revenge For The Death Of Dante

Portia Might Have Forgiven Emily, But Mattaeo Might Have A Vendetta Against Her

However, just because Emily has made peace with the Versano family doesn’t mean she’s safe. One of the big reveals in the third act of Another Simple Favor is the reveal that when Emily befriended Dante in their youth, it wasn’t actually romantic. In reality, she served as his public love interest while he pursued a secret affair with Mattaeo Bartolo, their heir to a rival crime family. Mattaeo is present for the wedding and tense throughout the ceremony, with this reveal explaining why. While the Versano family may have accepted Emily’s innocence, it’s possible Mattaeo hasn’t.

The crime lord could decide to target Emily, or seek to kill her loved ones to get back at her for inadvertently bringing Dante’s eventual killers to their home. This could put Nicky in danger, which would naturally force Stephanie back into the action as well. This could even build off Emily’s new work with the Versano family, making Mattaeo a dangerous rival who has a vested interest in not only bringing down a rival family, but a personal reason to seek revenge against the family for even considering marrying Dante off to an American woman in the first place.

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Stephanie’s Writing Career Could Encounter Other Crimes

Give Anna Kendrick More Mysteries To Solve

Although it takes a backseat to all of the other threats that Stephanie and Emily encounter in Another Simple Favor, a subplot surrounding Stephanie is centered on her guilt over a recent investigation. While looking into a sports coach accused of pedophilia, Stephanie confronted the man and witnessed him kill himself in front of her. While this thread is resolved by the end of the film and Stephanie feels reᴀssured in her work as a writer and amateur detective, it’s notable that this establishes how easily Stephanie could investigate various other crimes and criminals.

Not all of Stephanie’s mysteries need to surround Emily (although her presence as a potential suspect or wildcard ally would be a boon for any prospective sequel focusing more on Stephanie), as her investigation into the other stories could easily carry a narrative. Especially as Stephanie becomes more notable in-universe (as seen at the end of the film when she has an interview with Jake Tapper), she could investigate different crimes that range from the ridiculous to the timely. Stephanie is a fun character anchored by a charming Anna Kendrick performance, and she could easily carry her own mysteries.

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Charity Could Break Out Of Prison

Charity Could Become A Very Dangerous Threat To Emily’s Freedom And Future

One of the big twists of Another Simple Favor is the introduction of Charity, Emily’s long-thought-ᴅᴇᴀᴅ other sister. Raised by Linda as a tool for her criminal schemes, Charity has become a creepily effective killer who has an obsession with her sister. That obsession is key to the climax of Another Simple Favor, as not only does she turn on Linda at a crucial moment but also takes Emily’s place in prison. However, that might not be a permanent solution for dealing with the danger posed by the character.

Charity could eventually be forced to reveal the truth about her parentage, which could raise suspicions around the globe about Emily’s disappearance. She could also decide she’s tired of being separated from her sister and head off in search of her. This could set up Charity as a potentially perfect foil to Emily, a similar chameleon who can blend into public spaces as easily as Emily but with a far more lethal and unpredictable edge. Charity could be a compelling antagonist that could drive plenty of chaotic plots in possible sequels.

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Sean’s Family Could Try To Take Back Nicky

A High-Society Legal Battle Could Bring A Simple Favor 3 Back To Suburban Drama

One of the biggest surprises from Another Simple Favor‘s ending is the reveal that, after the death of Sean and the arrest of “Emily,” their son Nicky has been taken in by Stephanie. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Nicky, who likes Stephanie and is happy to be reunited with his best friend Miles. Miles and Stephanie are pleased with the situation, and Emily is openly grateful to Stephanie for providing a safe space for him. However, there’s a chance that Sean’s family might have more concerns about that.

A custody battle between Sean’s family and Stephanie would fit the upper-class drama of the previous two films, especially if some of the people involved in the situation started dropping ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. It could also be a good opportunity to introduce more diversity into the largely white cast, especially after the death of Henry Golding’s Sean (one of the only prominent characters of color in the two films). It would be especially entertaining to introduce a character whose status in society makes it impossible for Emily to trick, forcing her to up her manipulative game to maintain custody of her son.

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The FBI Could Recruit Stephanie (And Pit Her Against Emily)

Stephanie And The FBI Could Face Off Against A Mafia-Backed Emily

One of the most surprising (and comical) deaths in Another Simple Favor is FBI Agent Irene Walker, whose efforts to remain undercover and ᴀssist Stephanie end in her unceremonious death at the hands of Charity. While this plot beat is later absorbed into the overall litany of crimes committed by Charity, it’s clear the FBI sees Stephanie as a person worth keeping alive. In a potential sequel, this could even lead to the FBI recruiting Stephanie for an investigation.

If it’s a public-facing crisis, then Stephanie’s fame and popularity could be a useful ᴀsset for an investigation. This could fit into plenty of potential mysteries, but the most enticing could be an FBI investigation into the Versano family, which would naturally pit Stephanie against Emily. Especially given the way the two characters find peace in Another Simple Favor, a sequel reluctantly pitting them against one another at the behest of groups like the Versanos or the FBI could make for a very compelling follow-up.

Source: Decider