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Justin Baldoni’s issues with Blake Lively have started affecting his career. According to a source, Baldoni may lose three potential projects, including a live-actionPac-Man. TheIt Ends With Usactor and his Wayfarer Studios were involved in the live-action version of the popular arcade game from 2022. Amidst the drama in August 2024, reports about the film resurfaced.
After months of speculation about a feud between the lead actors onIt Ends With Us, Lively accused co-star Baldoni of creating a hostile work environment in a civil rights complaint filed on December 21. Baldoni filed a countersuit, claiming damages worth $400 million for charges including civil extortion and defamation.
However, Lively’s complaint had done some damage to Baldoni’s career. He and his studio were both dropped by WME, the talent agency. While Baldoni has strong support from a section of fans, it is assumed that Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ Hollywood influence could potentially derail his career.
Pac-Manmovie might get scrapped amid Justin Baldoni’s legal issues
Justin Baldoni‘s breakout role was in the CW seriesJane the Virgin, where he played Rafael Solano. He co-founded the production company Wayfarer Studios in 2019 and ventured into filmmaking with the Cole Sprouse starring film,Five Feet Apart. He later directed the filmCloudsbefore taking charge of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’sIt Ends With Us.
5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Justin Baldoni
However, his latest film proved to be difficult as he did not get along with his co-starBlake Lively. The feud which started on the set has turned into a legal battle. When the behind-the-scenes problems became the Tinseltown talk, Baldoni decided to announce that he would be directing thePac-Manfilm.
ThePac-Manfilm, involving Baldoni and his studio, was first reported way back in 2022. The renewed announcement was a PR move, which was revealed in a text message between him and his PR team on August 18 (via THR). He shared in the message that this announcement will possibly help him“move towards the future.”
However, Baldoni’s live-action movie about the yellow all-consuming blob in the most popular arcade game may not happen after all. THR reported that at least three projects involving Baldoni would probably move into development hell due to his legal battle. A source stated that Baldoni“lost three jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars.”
While we have no clue what these other projects besidesPac-Manare, it is reported that every partner of Wayfarer is“having a conversation”about doing business with the studio (via THR).
Justin Baldoni’sPac-Manbrought inThor: Ragnarokwriter
Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios first collaborated with Bandai Namco Entertainment in 2022 to bring a live-actionPac-Manto the screen (via Variety). The Japanese company is a video game publisher, that created games likePac-Man,Ace Combat, andTekken.
How Did Justin Baldoni Get So Famous? 5 Turning Points In His Hollywood Career Explored
Pac-Manwas introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s and became one of the most popular games on consoles and mobile phones. It even held the Guinness Record for the“most successful coin-operated game machine”(via pacman.com). The game was previously adapted into an animated TV series on ABC in the ’80s.
It also got a 2013 cartoon version, calledPac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. Fans have little clue as to how Baldoni planned to bring the bright yellow-colored face, who eats pellets, to the live-action format. Chuck Williams ofSonic the Hedgehogfame was initially roped in to write the script.
However,Thor: Ragnarokwriter Christopher Yost began penning the script recently. As the news emerges about a potential scrapping of the film, fans are yet to hear from one of the major stakeholders in this situation. Bandai Namco has yet to make an official comment on the status of Baldoni’s film.
The legal drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively explained
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of trying to ruin her reputation with a smear campaign (via PEOPLE). According to Lively’s complaint, the retaliatory smear campaign came after she expressed concerns about Baldoni’s behavior. She claimed that Baldoni s*xually harassed her and created a hostile working environment.
She accused Baldoni of improvising intimate scenes that were not in the script. She also claimed that he showed images of nde women to Lively, discussed his personal sx life, and talked to her trainer about her weight loss without consent.
“It Ends With Us” Trial: Date and Other Key Details You Have to Know
In response, Baldoni first filed a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times after they released text messages and alleged that he orchestrated a smear campaign (via Forbes). He accused her of beingthe difficult one to work with. Later, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane.
The lawsuit claims civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional interference with contractual relations. He shared that Lively constantly attempted to interfere in the creative process and threw tantrums on set. He shared thatReynolds“launched into an aggressive tirade”during a meeting.
Lively’s side claimed that Baldoni was trying to trivialize her allegations by blaming the victim. They responded to the new $400 million lawsuit, sharing,“This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook”(via People).
They also claimed that evidence would show thatthe cast and others had their own negative experienceswith Baldoni and his studio.
How does this legal battle affect Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios?
As mentioned earlier, studios are hesitating to get entangled in this legal drama and are probably looking to cut ties with Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios. Wayfarer is not too small an independent production house to crumble under pressure as it has the backing of billionaire Steve Sarowitz.
(VIDEO) Justin Baldoni Is Giving Keanu Reeves Vibe While Taking Pictures With His Female Fans
However, they are going up against one of the biggest fish in the Hollywood pond. Even Wayfarer’s deep pockets might not be able to save it fromRyan Reynolds‘ wrath, who is basically a business tycoon. The collateral damage for Baldoni’s studio could be much larger than potentially losingPac-Man.
According to insiders who spoke with THR, Sarowitz is ready tofight Baldoni’s case in court with every resource possible. Sarowitz’s acquaintance with Baldoni far precedes the production company. They were both members of the Baha’i faith.
Wayfarer has not limited its filmography to just Baldoni’s films. It invested money into theGarfieldmovie last year. The studio was even supposed to back Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut,Eleanor the Great. Other projects backed by the studio include Rainn Wilson’sCode 3, Michael Chiklis’The Senior, and the queer dramaA Nice Indian Boy.
The studio is also interested in several book-to-film adaptations likeIt Ends With Us. These books include Sam Tschida’sErrands & Espionageand Kirsty Greenwood’sThe Love of My Afterlife. Interestingly, the studio entered into zero deals after the legal issues.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
