Image via IMDb/Publisher
It’s been a long way to get to the screen for Taylor Jenkins Reed’s booktalk sensation, but Netflix’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has taken a huge step forward. Following her acclaimed directorial debut on the streamer, Anna Kendrick has been tapped to direct the upcoming drama.
The news comes courtesy of Deadline’s Justin Kroll, who reported on Monday that Kendrick is reuniting with Netflix to lead one of the studio’s most high-profile upcoming literary adaptations.
If you’ve been keeping track of the project through our comprehensive preview guide, you’ll know that a revolving door has been spotted in the director’s chair for Evelyn Hugo. The adaptation originally spent time in development at Freeform before being moved to Netflix in 2022. First, Leslie Headland (retainer, Russian doll) was added directly, after maggie bates (mausoleum) early last year. Now, Kendrick is officially stepping in to bring the Golden Age of Hollywood to life Special report from Deadline.
It’s easy to see why Netflix is eager to stay in business with Kendrick. He recently made a massive splash with his directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, which proved to be a huge critical and viewership hit for the streamer. Acquiring a huge IP like Evelyn Hugo is a big step up in the scale of her sophomore studies behind the camera.
For those unfamiliar with the Taylor Jenkins Read phenomenon, the book has sold millions of copies worldwide and dominates social media (nearly 800 million views on TikTok alone).
Here is the official logline for the upcoming film:
“Evelyn Hugo chooses an unknown reporter, Monique Grant, to write her life story. Evelyn recalls her time in the Golden Age of Hollywood, her rise to fame, her seven marriages, and her secret love.”
Along with the update from the director, we also have a clearer picture of where the script currently stands. Liz Tigelaar (Little Fires Everywhere) wrote the first draft of the screenplay, and Francesca Sloane (co-creator of Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith and writer of Fargo) is currently working on revisions.
The feature is produced by Lisa Chassin for 3Dot Productions, Brad Mendelsohn for Circle Management + Productions and David Hinojosa. Taylor Jenkins Reed joins as executive producers alongside Margaret Chernin.
Since Kendrick is now busy directing and script revisions, the next big hurdle will be casting. Fans have been praising the roles of Evelyn, Celia St. James, and Monique for years, but will we soon find out who will actually play the lead character? The project remains in active development, and has no production start date or release window set yet. We will keep updating our main preview for Evelyn Hugo’s seven husbands As we learn more.
Are you excited to see Anna Kendrick take over The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Let us know in the comments below!
