Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick is stepping behind the camera to make her directorial debut with the true-life thriller The Dating Game.
The film, from a Black List script by Ian McDonald, is described as the stranger-than-fiction story of Cheryl Bradshaw, a bachelorette candidate on hit ’70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game who picked the funny and handsome Bachelor Number One, Rodney Alcala. But Bradshaw’s fairy-tale date takes a terrifying turn when the bachelor drops his charming façade to reveal the truth: Alcala is in fact a psychopathic serial killer.
Kendrick will also star as Bradshaw and produce The Dating Game through her Let’s Go Again shingle.
Alongside Kendrick, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules will produce through BoulderLight Pictures and Roy Lee and Miri Yoon via Vertigo Entertainment. Screenwriter McDonald will also executive produce,
The film is currently in preproduction with principal photography set for late October. Additional casting is ongoing.
Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios is fully financing and co-producing The Dating Game as well as selling the project worldwide through its AGC International sales arm. AGC kicked off presales for the project in Cannes, with UTA/CAA jointly representing domestic rights. Kendrick and Ford will do a presentation for international buyers at the Toronto Film Festival.
“I’ve loved this script from the moment I read it. 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,” said Kendrick, “It feels meant to be.”
Kendrick is repped by CAA, Range Media Partners and Yorn Levine. AGC’s senior vp legal and business affairs Anant Tamirisa negotiated the deal on behalf of AGC, and CAA and Range Media Partners negotiated on behalf of Kendrick.
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