Jennifer Lawrence is entering a new phase of her career, one where directing will matter just as much as acting, for now at least.
In a profile with The New Yorker, the Oscar-winning actress confirmed she’s co-writing a comedy she plans to direct. The specifics of Lawrence’s film remain under wraps, but it seems to be a priority for her.
I want to be able to make something that feels completely mine. It’s not about scale anymore, it’s about feeling connected to the work.
She’s partnering with Kim Caramele, the writer and producer known for her work on “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Trainwreck,” and “Life & Beth.” They are currently in the middle of writing the second draft.
Ironically enough, it was just two years ago that Lawrence told GMA she was done in her attempts to direct because it “looks so hard.” She was supposed to helm “Project Delirium,” based on the New Yorker article “Operation Delirium” published in 2012 about military doctors running experiments on soldiers during the Cold War.
You know, I used to think that [I wanted to direct], and now I’m just so tired. And it just looks so hard.
Lawrence’s decision seems to mirror a broader pattern in Hollywood these days, where a flood of actors have decided to step behind the camera. Just look at the list for yourself, and this is just from the past few years:
Scarlett Johansson, Seth Rogen, Kristen Stewart, Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Harris Dickinson, Jonah Hill, Keira Knightley, Aziz Ansari, Eva Longoria, Idris Elba, Anna Kendrick, Viggo Mortensen, Chris Pine, Brie Larson, Regina King, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Kristin Scott Thomas, Brian Cox, James McAvoy, Maude Apatow, Nina Dobrev, Bryce Dallas Howard.
Who’s next?
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.