Blake Lively’s newest project is already stirring controversy before cameras have even begun rolling. The 37-year-old actress and producer was announced Thursday as the star and co-producer of the forthcoming romantic comedy The Survival List but the news was quickly met with a wave of criticism on social media, largely from fans loyal to actor-director Justin Baldoni.
The backlash comes against the backdrop of Lively’s high-profile legal dispute with Baldoni, her former co-star and director on 2024’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us.
Shortly after Deadline broke the casting news, the comments section lit up with a mixture of snark and skepticism. “Good luck to the director dealing with her drama,” one user wrote, directly referencing the behind-the-scenes conflict that plagued “It Ends With Us. Another quipped, “I thought ‘The Survival List’ was the IMDb of other actors she’s been in movies with.”
Some even invoked Lively’s personal life, speculating on whether her estrangement from former best friend Taylor Swift who allowed her song My Tears Ricochet to be featured in It Ends With Us would impact the new project. “This movie is not getting Taylor’s music,” one commenter predicted.
Still, not everyone was critical. Lively’s fanbase came to her defense in the same thread. “You go girl!! You have a lot of fans and believers!” one supporter posted. “Anyone else who wants to come after me can just take a hike.”
A Survival Story With a Twist
According to Deadline, The Survival List follows Annie (played by Lively), a sharp-witted reality TV producer reluctantly assigned to work on a survivalist show hosted by the charismatic but questionable Chopper Lane. When a shipwreck leaves them stranded on a deserted island, Annie soon discovers that Chopper is a fraud who knows nothing about actual survival skills. Forced to take charge, Annie must keep them alive and in the process, an unexpected romantic chemistry emerges.
The film will serve as Blake Lively’s first leading role since filing a lawsuit in December 2024 against Baldoni, his publicity team, and his production company Wayfarer Studios. Her lawsuit accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to damage her professional reputation.
Baldoni, 41, has vigorously denied all allegations. In response, he filed a staggering $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation. A judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit in June 2025, but the pair’s legal battle is far from over: the case is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.
Blake Lively’s History of Creative Assertiveness
The tensions between Blake Lively and Baldoni have reignited scrutiny of the actress’s past comments about her approach to creative control on set. In a resurfaced 2022 interview at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit, the A Simple Favor star admitted she sometimes pushes beyond traditional acting responsibilities.
“When I went into meetings, I would just seem like I’m just there to be the actor and ready to get the gig,” she said. “I wouldn’t reveal that I actually need to have authorship in order to feel fulfilled. For them, sometimes that might have felt like a rug pulled like you’re trying to assert yourself into something that we didn’t hire you to do.”
As The Survival List moves into development, it remains to be seen whether Blake Lively’s latest project can weather both her off-screen controversies and the skepticism from audiences. With the ongoing lawsuit still looming, the star’s return to romantic comedy may become as much a test of public perception as it is of box-office appeal.
