Ryan Reynolds’ film career appears to be facing some turbulence as tensions rise between his wife, Blake Lively, and her co-star Justin Baldoni from the movie It Ends With Us. According to a recent update from Deadline, Warner Bros. has delayed the release of Reynolds’ upcoming animated film Animal Friends. Originally scheduled to hit theaters on October 10, 2025, the movie’s premiere has now been pushed back to May 1, 2026. This animated road trip film is a collaborative project involving Legendary, Maximum Effort, and Prime Focus Studios.
Animal Friends is penned by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider and features a star-studded cast including Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Addison Rae, Dan Levy, Lil Rel Howery, and Ellie Bamber, alongside Reynolds himself. This is not the first time the film’s release date has been shifted; it was initially set for August 15, 2025, before being moved to October 2025 and now delayed further into 2026. The movie’s production history is also notable, as it was originally a Sony Pictures project before Warner Bros. took over distribution due to a deal with Legendary.
While the exact reason for the latest delay remains unclear, Animal Friends is known to be an R-rated film, though many plot details are still under wraps. The new release date strategically distances the film from competing titles like Jennifer Lopez’s Kiss Of The Spider Woman and Channing Tatum’s Roofman, suggesting the move might be a data-driven decision aimed at maximizing audience attention and box office potential.
Though Ryan Reynolds himself is not directly involved in the dispute, the ongoing and increasingly serious feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has reportedly impacted him indirectly. The tension began after the release of It Ends With Us and has escalated in recent months, with Lively recently withdrawing her emotional distress claims against Baldoni following requests for medical evidence. The ripple effects of this personal conflict are seemingly reaching into Reynolds’ professional life as well.