Briefly, very briefly, it looked as though Jennifer Garner might become the next Julia Roberts. An effortlessly charming turn in “13 Going On 30” following her success on the TV show “Alias” seemed to set her on the path to megastardom. But a selection of flops (“Elektra,” “Catch and Release,” “The Invention of Lying”) have somewhat lessened the actresses’ star power. We’re still big fans, though — she’s always engaging, and was robbed of an Oscar nod for “Juno,” where her subtle performance stood out, even in an excellent ensemble.
Things are looking up, with the lead in the much-buzzed-about script “Butter,” and now she’s close to signing on to a film which holds a great deal of promise; “Better Living Through Chemistry.” The actress looks set to join busy bee Jeremy Renner in the noirish thriller about a pharmacist (Renner) who begins a prescription drug-fueled affair with a trophy wife (Garner) that leads to the two plotting to kill her husband.
While Paul Rudd was said to be circling the project earlier in the year, Renner’s been rumored to have been apart of the film for weeks now and was listed in the pages of Production Weekly almost a month ago, if not longer; this is apparently everyone’s confirmation of his participation.
Debut writer/directors Geoff Moore and David Posamentier are in charge, and Occupant Films, behind the dark comedy “Peep World,” which played in Toronto last night, are producing. There’s no word on a start date, which we imagine is the big sticking point: Garner’s schedule is clear, but Renner has “Mission: Impossible,” “The Avengers,” possibly “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” and, we dearly hope at some point, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” on the way, but it’s possible that Renner could fit it in before any of these. Either way, it’s a strong pairing, and we’re looking forward to it. [The Hollywood Reporter]