From acting to directing, Anna Kendrick sets her eyes on making her directorial debut with The Dating Game, a true crime thriller that she will star in and produce. The project is written by Ian MacAllister McDonald (Some Freaks). It will be based on the true story of a 70s game show of the same name as the film where contestant Cheryl Bradshaw matched up with a charming, funny, and handsome bachelor, Rodney Alcala. It turned out that Alcala was a serial killer.
Finding the right project for a directorial debut for Anna Kendrick came down to the script, which sold her on The Dating Game. She fell in love with the story, the character of Cheryl, and “the themes around gender and intimacy.”
The director will produce with Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, and Miri Yoon. Russ Posternak will executive produce.
Anna Kendrick directorial debut to be the true crime thriller The Dating Game
The film was originally going to be directed by Chloe Okuno (V/H/S/94), based on the same script with the leading star still attached. It is currently unknown what caused the shift in leadership over the project.
With an acting career that has spanned almost 20 years, it was about time Anna Kendrick decided to make her directorial debut with The Dating Game. She was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Up in the Air. She is also known for Pitch Perfect, 50/50, End of Watch, and the Twilight films.
The Dating Game is currently in pre-production, but Anna Kendrick has other projects to focus on. She recently completed Alice, Darling, where she will star in the thriller with Kaniehtiio Horn (Letterkenny) and Wunmi Mosaku (Loki). To continue the thrills, she will star in Unsound from writers Matthew Ross (Frank & Lola) and Christopher Edwards for his writing debut.
