It looks as though filmmakerPaul Feighas zeroed in on his next project following the highly anticipatedGhostbustersredo. While the so-so box office returns on the comedy have not yet spurred Sony to pull the trigger on a sequel, Feig is looking to turn his attention to another female-centric comedy with a topical bent. PerVariety, theFreaks and Geekscreator andBridesmaidsdirector is in talks to helm an untitledMindy Kaling-scripted comedy set in the world of late night talk shows. We learned in September that Kalingwas set to write and star in the film, withEmma Thompsonpoised to take on the lead role of a veteran late night TV host who runs into danger of losing her job right when she hires her first female writer.
Feig hasn’t yet finalized his deal, but this film seems right up his alley. SinceBridesmaids, he’s been keen on making comedies starring women that perform incredibly well at the box office, and yet Hollywood continues to see female-driven films of any kind as a “risk.” He’s proven himself adept at the action genre withThe Heat,Spy, andGhostbusters, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued by the idea of him getting behind something more grounded like this Kaling film. It’s described as a mix betweenThe Devil Wears PradaandBroadcast News, so there’s certainly much to be excited about here.
Kaling’s been plenty busy as of late. In addition to juggling her duties as creator/star ofThe Mindy Project, she’s currently shooting the star-studded spinoffOcean’s 8and has a key role in theAva DuVernay-directedA Wrinkle in Time. She cut her teeth as a writer onThe Office, and this untitled feature would be her biggest project as a screenwriter to date.
We’ll likely hear firm word on Feig’s involvement soon as discussions continue between him and Fox. Me, I’ll be over here holding out hope thatGhostbusters 2happens sooner or later.
