The sleeper success of “Easy A” seems to have brought good fortune on the major players involved. It certainly launched the career of already rising star Emma Stone into the stratosphere, with Will Gluck quickly moving up the ladder with “Friends With Benefits” opening this past weekend, with a few more projects in the works including another team-up with Stone and an adaptation of “Sex On The Moon.” Moreover, he also inked a two-year deal with Sony. Not bad. And if we’re feeling generous, we’ll even say that Penn Badgley‘s recent casting in “Greetings From Tim Buckley” where he’ll play Jeff Buckley certainly wasn’t hurt by his turn as the harmless love interest in the comedy. Now, another name from the film is ready to capitalize on its success.
Writer Bert Royal, who earned his first credited writing gig on “Easy A,” is making the leap to the director’s chair with Fox Searchlight picking up his script “A Thousand Words Or Less” (not be be confused with the musty Eddie Murphy comedy “A Thousand Words“). The premise is quite simple, centering on “a national essay competition that sends three ambitious teenagers into a sexy game of one-upmanship.” One of those sexy contestants will likely be played by “The Secret Life Of The American Teenager” star Shailene Woodley. The actress is already familiar around Fox Searchlight offices for her turn in Alexander Payne‘s upcoming “The Descendants” and they are likely impressed her turn there, seeking her out for a role in this film.
No word yet on when production will begin, but with Fox Searchlight throwing their weight behind the pic, these two names will certainly be ones to be keeping an eye on. Could Royal launch Woodley’s career as Gluck did for Stone? You can bet everyone involved hopes that kind of lightning will strike twice. [Variety]