Justin Baldoni steps into Hollywood after paying pennies to Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni is making his next Hollywood move and timing is hard to ignore.

Just months after his explosive legal battle with Blake lively was settled, Baldoni is stepping back into the spotlight with a familiar face by his side: Jane the Virgin alum Gina Rodriguez.

Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios is set to produce Rodriguez’s upcoming directorial debut, House of Guerrero, a boxing drama starring Rodriguez and professional boxer Ryan Gracia.

The move comes after Baldoni’s legal fight with Lively reached a financial epilogue last month.

The Gossip Girl alum had sought more than $8 million in legal fees after their It Ends With Us battle, but a federal judge awarded her $407,000 – about 5% of the amount requested.

Now, Baldoni is putting the courtroom drama behind him and returning to filmmaking.

“Directing this film feels like the beginning of a new chapter in a story I’ve been carrying with me my entire life,” Rodriguez said of House of Guerrero.

Baldoni, who played Rodriguez’s love interest Rafael on Jane the Virgin, has remained close to his former costar.

“Having spent five years working with Gina every day, I’ve had a front-row seat to her genius, both in front of and behind the camera,” Baldoni said.

He continued, “She’s a rare talent with an incredible gift for telling stories that reach people on a deeply human level,” adding that “Boxing is in her blood.”

For Baldoni, the new project represents a very different Hollywood chapter after months dominated by lawsuits, headlines and courtroom battles.

And this time, there’s a movie to make.