Gia Coppola is attached to direct “Perfect,” a biopic of Olympic gymnast Kerri Shrug, and Netflix is reportedly in talks to acquire the project as well. Coppola replaces Olivia Wilde who was originally supposed to helm. Filming is slated for next spring.
With her run as Eleven on “Stranger Things” winding down later this year, Millie Bobby Brown appears to have already locked in the lead role. Sources tell Deadline that the Emmy-nominated star is in final negotiations to portray Shrug in Coppola’s biopic.
The film, penned by Ronnie Sandah, will tackle Strug’s story. A member of the 1996 U.S. gymnastics team, famously dubbed the “Magnificent Seven,” Strug secured the team’s gold medal with a flawless vault performed on a severely injured ankle. The image of her landing the vault and collapsing, only to be carried off by her coach, remains one of the most enduring moments in sports history.
Coppola made her feature directing debut with “Palo Alto,” still her best film. She later directed and co-wrote “Mainstream,” which premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. Coppola’s most recent project, “The Last Showgirl,” starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dave Bautista, earned Anderson a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Following “Air,” this is Affleck’s latest stint behind the camera. He has cast himself in the lead role, alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”).