2015 Jul 11

Jennifer Lawrence to Lead Romance THE ROSIE PROJECT from (500) DAYS OF SUMMER Scribes

Jennifer Lawrence is lining up a new project, and this one already had prestigious pedigree before she signed on. THR reports that the Hunger Games actress has attached herself to the romantic dramedy The Rosie Project, which boasts a screenplay by (500) Days of Summer and The Fault in Our Stars scribes Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and was initially intended as a directorial effort for Jump Street filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Now that Lord and Miller have signed on to helm a Star Wars movie, however, Columbia Pictures is quickly looking to fill the director’s chair.

Based on the book by Graeme Simison, the story centers on a professor of genetics who embarks on a project to help find him to the perfect partner, using a very specifically designed questionnaire. He is thrown for a loop when Rosie Jarman, who fills none of the criteria of the woman he should technically be with, stumbles into his life. The premise feels very close to Manic Pixie Dream Girl territory, but with such talent involved I’m inclined to believe (or hoping, rather) there’s more to the story than what this simple premise suggests.

With Lawrence’s attachment, Columbia sees this as a top priority and the studio hopes to put the project on the fast track. Lawrence recently wrapped a reunion with David O. Russell for Joy and is currently shooting X-Men: Apocalypse, and she has the sci-fi drama Passengers scheduled to start production later this year. If The Rosie Project comes together, though, it’s possible cameras could roll early next year, and the romance/dramedy would certainly make a nice change of pace from the more serious or grueling fare Lawrence has been tackling as of late.

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