Adam McKay, Jennifer Lawrence Theranos Medical Drama Pitch Heats Up Market Heading Into Weekend

What is already expected to be a hot weekend in Hollywood just got a little bit hotter.

Earlier this month, we learned that Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence was teaming up with fellow Oscar winner Adam McKay for The Big Short director’s UNTITLED MEDICAL DRAMA PITCH about embattled medical company Theranos and its founder, 32 year-old Elizabeth Holmes.

Now we’re hearing that, in addition to the Lawrence/McKay package, a literal package of background materials are being circulated to interested buyers – the list of which continues to grow as this heads into the weekend. There are reportedly multiple offers on the table already, and power combination of Lawrence and McKay will likely drive the numbers on this sky-high when all is said and done. With The Big Short, McKay proved that he could successfully make the pivot from broad, if absurdist, comedy, to powerful storytelling rooted in real-life drama, while Lawrence’s career has shown time and time again that she’s capable of pulling off just about anything.

The story will center around the company, which claimed to have revolutionized blood testing by being able to use only a pinprick of blood rather than traditional methods of drawing blood by injection with a device called Edison. The company is now under investigation over claims of inaccurate test results – controversy which has sent Holmes’ net worth from a peak of $4.5 billion to a fraction of that, and leaves the company’s fate in jeopardy. Theranos is currently under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lawrence recently starred in David O Russell’s Joy, in which she depicted another real-life entrepreneur Joy Mangano – a role that landed the 25 year-old actress her fourth Oscar nomination. She will next appear on screen in Passengers opposite Chris Pratt.

McKay took home his first Oscar for his work on the screenplay to The Big Short, which took on another scandal in a major industry – the housing bubble that ultimately triggered the 2008 financial crisis. He’s currently in development with a slew of projects, including The Hustlers at Scores with Annapurna. McKay is a producer with partner Will Ferrell on the upcoming Amy Poehler comedy, The House. 

This is expected to play out over the weekend and into early next week. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

Lawrence is repped by CAA.
McKay is repped by WME and Mosaic.

– VIEW THE UPDATED PITCH LISTING –

Josh Lyons | Managing Editor

This news was first reported by Deadline.