Drew Barrymore won plaudits for her directorial feature debut Whip It, a comedy centered around an all-girl roller derby team. Now she's set to ply her trade in the much-maligned multi-story romance genre, after signing on to direct How to Be Single.
Like predecessors such as He's Just Not That Into You and Valentine's Day, both of which performed strongly at the box office but had many critics weeping miserably into their popcorn, Barrymore's film will focus on several love stories and feature an ensemble cast. How to Be Single is based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Liz Tuccillo, which charted the lives and relationships of a group of New Yorkers over a 10-year period.
Barrymore starred in, as well as co-produced, the comedy He's Just Not That Into You, which was based on a popular self-help book. Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, who adapted the screenplay, are also returning for How to Be Single.
Meanwhile, the story isn't quite over for Valentine's Day, described by the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw as a "yucky, plasticky confection of sentimentality, like eating fudge with the cellophane wrapper still on", as its producers are planning a follow-up entitled New Year's Eve.
