It has been less than a year since Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have locked horns through legal feuds, though the drama makes it feel like it has been ages. But supporting his wife at every juncture of this challenging case is Ryan Reynolds. The twisted tale that started with It Ends With Us has become so impactful that it has already turned the lives of the involved parties upside down. Now, the couple, who are already reeling from recent developments, have been hit again as Reynolds’s movie gets pushed back.

Warner Bros. has made the massive decision of extending the release date of Animal Friends, the Reynolds-led live-action animation film.

This year, Ryan Reynolds was scheduled to arrive in cinemas with the ultimate road trip animation flick on October 10. However, Warner Bros. has now extended the release date by 7 months, with Animal Friends set for a new release date of May 1, 2026, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The reason for this sudden change has not been made public yet. This will dually affect the actor, as he is not just among the lead stars but is also invested as a producer through his brand, Maximum Effort.

Animal Friends is a laugh-out-loud adventure also packed with a top-notch cast comprised of Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Vince Vaughn, Addison Rae, Lil Rel Howery, Ellie Bamber, Eric André, and others. After the mind-blowing success of Deadpool & Wolverine last year, for 2025, Ryan Reynolds only had one release for this year. With the movie being pushed a year ahead, the actor will have no theatrical releases for this year. However, he does have a docuseries, Underdogs, coming up soon.

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This certainly is a heavy blow for Ryan Reynolds, who, along with his wife, has recently faced a setback in the legal feud.

A big plot twist has arrived in the drama after Justin Baldoni went on pushing for more confidential medical and therapy records. This made a substantial impact, as Blake Lively is seeking to drop both her intentional and negligent emotional distress claims against Baldoni, as reported by Variety. This will bring a big shift in Lively’s narrative, as one of the strongest pillars of her case hinges on the depth of psychological harm she received during the shooting, though according to her attorneys, she still stands by her broader accusations.

In the recent filing, Justin Baldoni’s lawyers have accused Blake Lively of cherry-picking what to share and pleaded that she should not be allowed to refile those claims later. This is a massive twist in the Baldoni-Lively feud, which continues to leave impacts on their careers as well as on family members. Though the actress and Ryan Reynolds have not shared any statement on the matter, it is evident that getting his solo movie shelved only adds insult to injury for Reynolds.

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How do you feel about Ryan Reynolds movie delay in the meddle of legal turmoil? Tell us below.