Anna Kendrick, a scrappy little nobody who was nominated for both an Oscar and a Tony before she was 25, will have one more thing to add to her scrappy little résumé: a directing gig. Kendrick will direct the true-crime thriller The Dating Game — about real-life game-show contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, who accidentally picked a serial killer to go on a date with while on the ’70s dating show The Dating Game. According to People, Kendrick had already signed on to play Cheryl in the film. “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,” Kendrick told the magazine.
The script, from the Black List, was written by Ian MacAllister McDonald. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in late October. “Right now, my house has sort of turned into a Beautiful Mind–style collage of sticky notes and inspirations and photographs and stuff,” added Kendrick. “It looks like I’m trying to solve my daughter’s kidnapping or something.” Here’s hoping that the tone of the movie is either pitch perfect, or, an equally good option, camp.
