{TB EXCLUSIVE} From Mockingjay to “Red Sparrow,” Jennifer Lawrence In Talks For Fox’s Spy Thriller

Courtesy of REUTERS

 EXCLUSIVE
 〉Lawrence is in talks to reunite with her Hunger Games director on the adaptation

Academy award winner Jennifer Lawrence is in talks to reunite with Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence on 20th Century Fox’s spy thriller RED SPARROW. Based on the novel by Jason Matthews, the story centers on a Russian spy and a CIA agent assigned to compromise the other, but soon find themselves in a charged duel of wills, skills, and forbidden romance. If talks pan out, Lawrence will take on the starring role of the Russian spy, Dominika Egorova.

Rooney Mara was previously announced to be in talks for the role, though sources confirm to The Tracking Board that those discussions didn’t pan out. Mara was circling back in 2014, around the same time that David Fincher was eyeing the project. Red Sparrow has long been a priority at Fox, who picked up rights to the novel in a high seven-figure deal in 2013, amidst a studio bidding war. Darren Aronofsky was also attached to direct at that time.

Francis Lawrence was reported to be nearing talks to direct this past July, and our sources confirm that those negotiations have pulled through. There’s also heavy-hitters behind the scenes, with Peter Chernin producing via his Chernin Entertainment shingle with Jenno Topping, while Steven Zaillian and Garrett Basch produce under their Film Rites banner. David Ready is overseeing for Chernin and Kira Goldberg is shepherding for Fox.

The film also reunites Jennifer Lawrence with American Hustle scribe Eric Warren Singer, who scripted the adaptation. Singer penned the latest draft, though our sources say that the studio is looking for another writer for a polish.

This will mark the fifth project for the Lawrences, who have previously worked together on three out of the four Hunger Games installments, with the final entry, Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, out November 18th.

Photo: Francis Lawrence

The fourth project for the duo is the true story drama The Dive, also in development Fox, which centers on freedivers Francisco Ferraras and his wife Audrey Mestre, who competed to swim as deep underwater as possible, on just a single breath of air.

Jennifer Lawrence has a knack for continually working with the same directors, as she’s next set to appear in a third David O. Russell film, the Joy Mangano biopic Joy, which bows in December. She’ll also star in Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, her second film with director Bryan Singer.

As for what future projects the two-time Oscar nominated actress has in the pipeline, well she’ll soon begin production on Sony’s long-awaited sci-fi romance Passengers, which also stars another Hollywood darling, Chris Pratt.

Jennifer Lawrence is repped by CAA. Francis Lawrence is also repped by CAA, as well as 3 Arts Entertainment.

—TO SEE ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS CLICK HERE—

Clark Allen | Associate Editor