Ryan Reynolds’ highly anticipated film Animal Friends has been hit with a major delay.
Originally scheduled for release on October 10, 2025, the movie will now premiere on May 1, 2026.
The delay amounts to a staggering seven-month push, as confirmed by Deadline.
The R-rated live-action and animation hybrid is a Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Entertainment project.
No official reason has been disclosed for the shift.
However, the announcement comes as Reynolds’ wife, actress Blake Lively, faces ongoing legal battles with director and actor Justin Baldoni.
May 1, 2026, was previously assigned to Avengers: Doomsday, which has now been moved to December 18, 2026.
This date change opens up a prime slot for Animal Friends to make a spring debut.
The star-studded cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Jason Momoa, Addison Rae, Vince Vaughn, Eric André, Dan Levy, and Rob Delaney.
The original October 2025 release date was already a crowded weekend.
It clashed with the launches of Jennifer Lopez’s Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Channing Tatum’s Roofman, and Disney’s sci-fi epic Tron: Ares.
Meanwhile, Blake Lively has dropped key parts of her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
Court documents show she has withdrawn claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Legal insiders suggest this was an effort to avoid disclosing her medical records.
Despite this move, her lawsuit still includes serious accusations such as sexual harassment and retaliation.
Baldoni is fighting back with a $400 million countersuit that alleges defamation and career damage.
Lively’s team stated that dropping the distress claims was standard legal procedure and part of streamlining the case.
They insist she still seeks compensation on broader claims.
However, Baldoni’s lawyers argue that her legal team wants “to have it both ways” by avoiding document discovery while keeping emotional damages in play.
Tensions escalated further with the involvement of pop star Taylor Swift.
A subpoena was issued to Swift in January after claims emerged that Lively had threatened to leak private texts if Swift didn’t support her publicly.
Swift’s lawyers successfully quashed the subpoena, calling it an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Other legal wranglings include Lively’s reluctance to sit for a deposition, as well as controversies over allegedly staged lawsuits used to secure subpoenas.
Baldoni’s legal team recently welcomed high-profile attorney Ellyn S. Garofalo.
Garofalo’s past connection to Taylor Swift’s legal firm has fueled speculation about deeper ties between the singer and the case.
She reportedly joined Baldoni’s defense believing an injustice was taking place and that her presence could make a difference.
The addition of Garofalo comes amid further reports that Scott Swift, Taylor’s father, allegedly leaked texts to Baldoni’s team.
Both Lively and Baldoni have denied the allegations against them.
Their courtroom showdown is set for March 2026.
In the meantime, fans of Ryan Reynolds will have to wait a bit longer for Animal Friends to hit theatres.