After a Secret Level Short and Metroidvania Announcement, Legal Issues May End Pac-Man Movie Directed by Justin Baldoni

Hold onto your hats because this is a wild one. It seems the much-anticipated Pac-Man movie may be hitting a snag due to director Justin Baldoni’s escalating legal issues with Blake Lively. The trouble comes in the wake of misconduct allegations during the production of 2024’s blockbuster, “It Ends With Us.”

Last year, the romantic drama took the box office by storm, raking in $351 million worldwide from a modest $25 million budget. However, the success was marred by off-screen drama when Blake Lively accused co-star and director Justin Baldoni of nurturing a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. This controversy is now casting a shadow over the Pac-Man movie project.

The Hollywood Reporter has published an in-depth piece delving into the complex situation, touching on the ongoing Baldoni and Lively dispute and its ripple effects on the long-awaited Pac-Man endeavor. If you’re eager for the full scoop, it’s definitely worth a read, but here are the highlights related to Pac-Man.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni indicated in a message to his PR team on August 18 that announcing his role as director for the Pac-Man film might be a way to steer himself toward the future. While we knew Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, had been connected to the project since 2022, it was uncertain if he’d be in the director’s chair. This is just one of several projects now facing uncertainty as tensions with Lively evolve from mere gossip into a veritable legal standoff.

As for Bandai Namco, the company that holds the rights to Pac-Man, they have yet to comment for The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, screenwriter Christopher Yost, known for “Thor: Ragnarok” and Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop,” had been penning the script, but the current state of that script remains a mystery. This is particularly intriguing following last year’s release of the anthology series “Secret Level” on Prime Video, which featured a horror-tinged Pac-Man short and has since been renewed for a second season. This has sparked speculation that the movie might lean into similar themes. Additionally, there was the surprising announcement of a mature Metroidvania-style reinvention of the franchise called “Shadow Labyrinth,” inspired by that very short.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Wayfarer has not launched any new projects amid the ongoing battle with Lively. The company is reportedly eager to forge a new deal as a gesture of goodwill, hoping to reassure partners that people are still willing to work with them. For now, the Pac-Man movie remains in limbo, clinging to hope, with or without Baldoni at the helm.