Back in April, we heard that Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) was in advanced talks to star in the true crime serial killer thriller The Dating Game – and at that time, Watcher director Chloe Okuno was attached to direct the film. Well, things have changed since April. Deadline reports that Okuno is no longer involved with The Dating Game, and instead Kendrick will be making her directing debut on this film.
Scripted by Ian MacAllister McDonald, The Dating Game is
based on the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw, who was a bachelorette on the hit 70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game and chose handsome and funny bachelor number one, Rodney Alcala. But behind Alcala’s charming façade was a deadly secret: he was a psychopathic serial killer.
Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios is financing and producing The Dating Game with Kendrick, BoulderLight Pictures’ J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, and Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Miri Yoon. Filming is scheduled to begin in late October.
Kendrick had this to say about taking on the job of directing the film: “I’ve loved this script from the moment I read it. And while I was obviously thrilled to be playing the character of Cheryl, I felt so connected to the story, the tone, and the themes around gender and intimacy, that when the opportunity came up to direct the film, I jumped at it. It feels meant to be. The support I’ve received already from Stuart Ford and everyone at AGC, Vertigo, and BoulderLight has been inspiring and empowering.“
Ford provided the following statement: “Anna has such an innate feeling for the characters in this film and the tone of the movie, it makes absolute sense for her to step behind the camera and direct it and to back her vision for the film to move forward alongside our partners at BoulderLight and Vertigo.“
The story of The Dating Game was already enough to make me want to see it, and after watching Watcher I was really looking forward to seeing what Okuno would do with it. Now it will be interesting to see how Kendrick does with her first directing gig.
Are you looking forward to The Dating Game? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
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