Oscar-nominated screenwriter Andrea Berloff will make her directorial debut with New Line Cinema’s “The Kitchen,” The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The female-led mob story is an adaptation of a Vertigo comic book series. Back in June 2016 it was announced that Berloff would pen the script, and now comes word that she’ll helm the project.
THR writes that Berloff impressed execs with her approach to the story, and they decided that she’d be a good fit to offer a “decidedly edgy and subversive take on a crime movie staple.”
Set in Hell’s Kitchen, New York in the 1970s, “The Kitchen” centers on the Irish mob. “When the FBI comes in and does a sweep of the mob, several men are arrested,” THR summarizes. “Their wives end up taking over … and running the business much more viciously than the men ever did.”
Comic book movies have been famously noninclusive towards women both on-screen and behind the scenes. That being said, “The Kitchen” is not the only comic adaptation by and about women on our radar. Other projects to look forward to include “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Larson and written by Nicole Perlman (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) and Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”), and Patty Jenkins’ long-awaited “Wonder Woman” movie led by Gal Gadot. While “Captain Marvel” doesn’t have a director attached yet, the last we heard, Niki Caro (“Whale Rider,” “Disney’s live-action “Mulan”), Lesli Linka Glatter (“Homeland”), and Lorene Scafaria (“The Meddler”) comprise the shortlist of directors being considered for the gig.
“I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to direct a film that is fiercely, unapologetically female-driven,” said Berloff.
Berloff is best known for co-writing one of 2015’s biggest success stories, “Straight Outta Compton.” The portrait of hip hop group N.W.A. grossed over $200 million on a budget of $28 million, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Script. Her other credits include “Blood Father” and “World Trade Center.”
