Psychological thriller Blink Twice has issued a warning notifying viewers of “sexual violence” depicted in the film.
Directed by Zoe Kravitz, the film follows tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), who invites waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) to spend a vacation on his private island. However, she begins to question her reality after a series of strange events.
The warning was issued as Blake Lively faces criticism for her “tone deaf” approach when promoting her film It Ends With Us, a movie about domestic violence.
Both Blink Twice and its distributor, Amazon MGM Studios, shared the warning on their Instagram accounts ahead of the film’s August 23 release.
“We’re proud to finally share Blink Twice with audiences in theaters around the world this week,” the message begins.
Psychological thriller Blink Twice has offered a warning notifying viewers of “sexual violence” depicted in the film.
Directed by Zoe Kravitz, the film follows tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), who invites waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) on a vacation to his private island. However, she begins to question her reality after a series of strange events.
‘Blink Twice’ is a psychological thriller about the abuse of power. While it is a fictional film, it contains mature themes and depictions of violence, including sexual violence.
‘This may be upsetting or irritating to some viewers. For resources that offer support, please visit BlinkTwiceResources.com.’
Lively and her new film It Ends With Us have faced intense criticism for the lack of prior information about the film’s central focus and overall marketing campaign.
Bridgette Stumpf, founder and executive director of the DC Victim Recovery Network, described the disappointment she felt at the immediate lack of resources for the film in a Hollywood Reporter article.
“When we watched the film in a packed theater with a colleague on opening night, our first reaction upon finishing the movie was disappointment that no resources were immediately offered for survivors as soon as the credits rolled. Later, there was a message over the end credits, though it came after many had left: ‘If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Please visit www.nomore.org for more information and support,'” she wrote.
A message with information about resources was offered during the credits of It Ends With Us and a guide for viewers with resources and information about domestic violence was shared on the film’s Instagram account.
Lively also addressed the topic on her Instagram Stories several days after the film’s debut, posting statistics about the issue and the domestic violence hotline.
Blink Twice will be released on August 23 and in an interview with PeopleKravitz and Ackie discussed the filmmaking process.
When it came time to film the film’s most challenging moments, Kravitz said, “We had a lot of conversations.”
The film stars Zoe’s fiancé Channing Tatum and actress Naomi Ackie.
“We had evenings where we would all talk as a group and each person would share what they wanted to share: their own fears, worries, personal experiences,” he said.
“We had nights where it was just the men talking and having a safe space, and the women too. It’s not just about the finished product, the destination, but how we get there. So we all had to work on what we needed to work on,” she said.
Ackie, who described the talks as “beautiful”, said: “Some of the hardest scenes, we walked away feeling exhausted, like we’d had a big group hug.”
“It was something very special,” she said. “I’ll never forget those things. I realize now that the reason I became an actress was because of the community. It’s the people you’re with and the fact that you can trust people enough to create a story and know that people aren’t going to laugh at you.”
Blink Twice is set to be released on August 23, and in an interview with People, Kravitz and Ackie talked about the process of making the film; Kravitz pictured on set with Tatum
Blake Lively attends the premiere of ‘It Ends With Us’ in New York in early August
Lively, for her part, has faced backlash for “trivializing domestic violence” and promoting the film “as a romantic comedy.”
The film is based on the book by Colleen Hoover and focuses on the story of Lily Bloom, played by Lively, who finds herself in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin Baldoni.
In early August, Lively, Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer sat down with the author to talk about the topic. However, instead of discussing the serious subject of abusive relationships, the quartet were accused of appearing “lighthearted.”
Lively, Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer sat down for a Q&A with the author to discuss it in early August.
Branded “tone deaf,” Lively has faced intense scrutiny following the film’s release, with interviews continuing to surface showing behavior that has been branded “petty” by some who have seen it.
Rumors have also circulated of a feud between Lively and director Baldoni.
I had already reported this previously. TMZ that the mother of four was allegedly weight-shamed on set by Baldoni in preparation for a scene in the film in which Baldoni lifted Lively into the air.
There have also been rumours of a feud between Lively and director Baldoni (pictured).
The film is based on the book by Colleen Hoover and focuses on the story of Lily Bloom, played by Lively, who finds herself in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin Baldoni.
Sources close to the event told the outlet that Baldoni suffers from back problems and sought the help of a trainer before the lifting scene.
Baldoni reportedly asked the trainer how much Lively weighed and asked for help in preparing her back to avoid injury.
When Lively found out about Baldoni’s comments, she reportedly felt embarrassed for him.
Lively welcomed her fourth child with husband Ryan Reynolds in February 2023, and sources shared with TMZ that the comment really affected the actress.
TMZ sources also cited another alleged instance that upset Lively on set.
The duo were filming a kissing scene and sources claim Lively believed Baldoni “lingered” longer than necessary for the kiss.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Baldoni and Lively for comment.