New Line is developing a comedy movie – How To Be Single – based on the popular novel by Liz Tuccillo, and Community star Alison Brie is in talks to join the cast, with Christian Ditter (Vicky And The Treasure Of The Gods) in the director’s chair.
The source story sees single New Yorker Julie Jenson take off around the world after a particularly terrible night out with her friends. Seeking to find an alternative approach to singledom, she travels across continents – seeing the world, falling in love and getting heartbroken. Along the way, she discovers things that had hitherto eluded her while, back in New York, her friends face life in the big city – with all the trials and tribulations that entails.
So, Sex And The City meets Eat Pray Love, then? It sure looks like it at first glance. Tuccillo was formerly an executive story editor on that award-winning HBO show, after all. However, the travelling aspect of the tale is the really interesting part, since it is based on the author’s own research trips, during which she interviewed countless single men and women. This adaptation comes from the pen of screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein – who previously adapted Tuccillo’s novel He’s Just Not That Into You for the 2009 film – so we can be assured of an accurate distillation of the author’s tone and voice, at least.
British actress Lily Collins (The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones) is already confirmed to star, although it is not yet clear which role either Collins or Brie are heading for. Casting will be key in this project, as the success of the film will hang on the chemistry between the friends, and those the lead character meets on her journey. We have yet to hear any other casting announcements, but if the pursuit of Alison Brie is any indication of the direction How To Be Single is heading in, it’s certainly on the right path so far.
