Jennifer Lawrence to Lead Real Housewives-Inspired Murder Mystery From A24 & Apple

Apple Original Films has acquired the Jennifer Lawrence-fronted The Wives, which the Don’t Look Up star will produce alongside her producing partner, Justine Ciarrochi, for Lawrence’s production company, Excellent Cadaver. It will mark the company’s third feature after 2022’s Oscar-nominated (for Brian Tyree Henry’s supporting performance) Causeway and 2023’s box office hit No Hard Feelings. As per a report by Variety, very little is currently known about The Wives, but it’s said to be reminiscent of the argument-laden The Real Housewives, but with a murder mystery twist.

The Wives is written by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, who also penned the Pulitzer Prize finalist play Circle Jerk, and is set to be co-produced by both Apple Studios and the beloved A24. Of note is the fact that Lawrence and her Excellent Cadaver previously collaborated with A24 on Causeway.

No Hard Feelings

Release Date

June 23, 2023

Director

Gene Stupnitsky

Writers

Gene Stupnitsky , John Phillips

Studio

Excellent Cadaver, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

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Also set as producers are Jeremy O. Harris, who wrote A24’s Zola, and Josh Godfrey, who served as executive producer on Manchester by the Sea and 2018’s Suspiria. They will produce under their shared bb² banner.

What Else Has Lawrence Been Up to Lately?

After scoring big with the Academy Awards via 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook and 2013’s American Hustle (not to mention her tenure as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games saga and Mystique in the rebooted X-Men franchise), Lawrence took a few years off from being Hollywood’s top leading lady. But, alongside founding Excellent Cadaver in 2018, she also had roles in Red Sparrow and Don’t Look Up. But, with Excellent Cadaver, she’s shown an even greater range than had already impressed audiences. It just happened to be behind the camera and has allowed her greater control over the direction in which her projects head.

And, speaking of projects, the Winter’s Bone star has a few in the pipeline right now. That said, they’re either in development, in pre-production, or in production. On the in development front, there’s a collaboration with Amy Schumer, who recently had roles in IF, Netflix’s Unfrosted, and Hulu’s terrific series Life & Beth. As for what’s in pre-production, there’s Mob Girl, which will see her collaborate with The Young Pope director Paolo Sorrentino. And, when it comes to what’s in production, there’s the thriller Die, My Love. That film will be helmed by the phenomenal Lynne Ramsay, who also directed critical favorites We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here.

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There’s also a biopic of Hollywood agent Sue Mengers, which is also set to be directed by Sorrentino as well as a thriller from Suspiria director Luca Guadagnino. Lastly, there’s a reimagining of the James Dean-led classic East of Eden. If it comes to fruition, that film will see her reteam with Gary Ross, who helped Lawrence skyrocket to the A-list via the original Hunger Games film.

But, the highest-profile of all is the upcoming Martin Scorsese movie which looks to team Lawrence as Ava Gardner with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Frank Sinatra. Clearly, Lawrence is still a hot commodity in the film industry, and her role choices have only become more impressive.