Jennifer Lawrence has parted ways with director Richard Linklater, who was set to direct the Oscar winner in The Rosie Project, a romantic comedy drama being developed by Sony’s Columbia Pictures.
The Boyhood director is still on board to direct the adaptation of the book by Graeme Simsion, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Lawrence was to play a young woman who throws a genetics professor off his game after she debunks his scientifically sound survey to find the perfect partner. The trade paper says the role, as written by screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, was envisaged with Lawrence in mind.
This marks the second high-profile project that the actor has recently left: she previously dropped out of The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls’s memoir; Room star Brie Larson is now rumoured to be in discussions to star in the project.
On Tuesday, Lawrence made headlines for speaking out against pay inequality in Hollywood via an impassioned essay she penned for her friend Lena Dunham’s new newsletter. The actor is currently in the midst of filming Passengers opposite Chris Pratt; recently wrapped her third X-Men movie; and has both her final Hunger Games movie and David O Russell’s Joy opening this autumn.
Linklater’s follow-up to Boyhood, tentatively titled Everybody Wants Some, opens on 15 April in the US. The baseball comedy is billed as a spiritual sequel to Linklater’s beloved teen comedy, Dazed and Confused. The Rosie Project is currently listed as in pre-production.
