Last we heard, Lakeshore Entertainment‘s “Adaline” was in big trouble after rom-com star extraordinaire Katherine Heigl bailed on playing the lead role in the project. Apparently, director Andy Tennant (“Hitch“) has also backed out, and Variety reports that producers are wooing Gabriele Muccino, whose credits include the weepies “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Seven Pounds.”
The story, penned by J. Mills Goodloe, Salvador Paskowitz and Allison Burnett, centers on a young woman who becomes ageless after an accident. After living alone for almost a century, she meets a young man for whom she’d give up her immortality. The story sounded right up Heigl’s bloated alley when it was first announced last year. However, with a director whose had some success in the past, maybe the story will have something intelligent to say. We can only hope. Sound off in the comments about who should replace Heigl (preferably someone who has made a good movie in the last two years).
Lakeshore is partnering with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment on this one, with Summit Entertainment holding distribution rights for the U.S. Lakeshore’s Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi will produce alongside Kimmel, as well as Steve Golin and Alix Madigan from their Anonymous Content banner. Producers hope to begin principal photography next January, so the re-casting of Heigl’s character should happen pretty soon. Why the long wait? Muccino is also in pre-production on the soccer world dramedy ” “Playing the Field” with Gerard Butler that will shoot later this year, so we presume he’ll get that in the can first before starting on “Adaline.”