EXCLUSIVE: As she continues to build out her development slate when it comes to both acting and producing, Lily James looks to have found quite the high-profile pic to add to its dance card.
Sources tell Deadline that 20th Century Studios and Ethea Entertainment, the production company formed by Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay, are in pre-production for an untitled film inspired by the story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and former CEO of online dating platform Bumble, with James on board to play the lead role. The film will begin shooting in 2024, with James set to produce alongside 20th Century and Ethea.
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20th Century had no comment.
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Lily James will produce alongside producer duo Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay. Rachel Lee Goldenberg is directing the film from a script written by herself, Bill Parker and Kim Caramele. The project will include Gala Gordon as an Executive Producer, and Sarah Shepard will be overseeing the project for 20th Century Studios.
Wolfe Herd famously left Tinder, after co-founding the dating app, in 2014. She went on to launch competitor Bumble that same year. In 2021, the company went public and when that transition happened, she officially became one of the youngest self-made billionaires at age 31. Wolfe Herd would step down as CEO in 2023 but by then the app had now become massive successful with several divisions that are still thriving today.
Plot details are still vague as the film is an inspiration and not based on Wolfe Herd’s life and it is unknown how this film will compare to the actual origin story. Casting of other roles is already under way and the film is expected to be released in 2025.
The film marks another milestone for James as she goes from a top tier leading lady in such hits as Cinderella, Baby Driver and most recently The Iron Claw to more of a multi-hyphenate as she spreads her wings on the producing front. This film will mark one of her first major productions she’ll produce and its quite the score for an actor that is just ramping up their production company.
On the acting side, she remains busy most recently starring alongside Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White in the critically acclaimed The Iron Claw, which has since become one of A24’s bigger box-office hits to date. She can be seen next in Greedy People, which had its world premiere at this years Sundance Film Festival and also has the David Mackenzie pic Relay bowing in the future.
James is repped by UTA, Tavistock Wood, Sloane Weber Offer Dern and Goldberg is repped by UTA, 831 Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman.