Yesterday, Jeff Sneider dropped a little scoop: Taylor Swift’s script for her much-hyped directorial debut was quietly getting a polish from Alice Birch, the screenwriter behind “Normal People” and “Die, My Love.”
It didn’t take long for the machine to start spinning. A “source close to production” was trotted out via E! News to firmly deny the report, insisting there’s only one writer on the project: Taylor Swift. The PR line is clear — no Birch, no polish, end of story.
But should we believe this? Sneider, never one to back down from a credible tip, doubled down. His source, he says, is rock solid and Birch’s co-writing credit was on the front page of a draft. This coming from someone who knows the production.
The likely scenario? Birch is acting as an uncredited ghostwriter, fine-tuning Swift’s words into something shootable. That would explain the denial. Searchlight wants to preserve the prestige and marketability of the project being billed as “Written and Directed by Taylor Swift.” Birch’s official involvement muddies that narrative.
Hollywood loves a singular-artist myth, and Swift, the auteur who writes, directs, and potentially stars in her passion project, is clearly angling for a narrative. If Birch’s name were front and center, the whole “Taylor Swift the auteur” pitch would lose some of its shine.
The Taylor-Swift-is-a-good-director buzz has been carefully curated via industry players like cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, who called Swift an “excellent director.” “Deadpool 3” filmmaker Shawn Levy banged the drums for her as well, comparing her to Spielberg. Guillermo del Toro praised her as “a very accmplished director.” Laura Dern said she was “the real deal.”
So for now, the official line is that this is a one-woman show. But in the background, a different story might be emerging, one which has Swift needing some assistance for her directorial debut, and there’s nothing wrong to just admit it.