Deadline is reporting that Anna Kendrick is set to make her directorial debut with The Dating Game, a true crime thriller which will also see her starring in and producing.
The film is based on the story of Cheryl Bradshow, a young woman who appeared on the TV matchmaking show The Dating Game, where she her chosen suitor was Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who would go on to become known as The Dating Game Killer.
“I’ve loved this script from the moment I read it,” said Kendrick. “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.”
“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,” added Stuart Ford of AGC Studios, which is financing and co-producing with Kendrick’s Let’s Go Again production company.
Kendrick is set to direct The Dating Game from a Black List script by Ian MacAllister McDonald, and filming is slated to begin in October.