Drew Barrymore may be the next purveyor of cute animal videos and water-cooler chatter. Deadline reports that sources have confirmed that Barrymore is “in discussion with Warner Bros. TV for a talk show that would launch next year, but no deal is in place.”
The actress would be adding the gig to an already-packed schedule. As Deadline outlines, Barrymore is business with WBTV for another project. She’s lending her voice to narrate NBC’s “First Dates,” “an observational docuseries that looks at multiple real first dates happening over one night at the same Chicago restaurant. It will be produced by Shed Media, which is part of Warner Bros. TV’s alternative department, and Ellen DeGeneres’ WBTV-based A Very Good Production.” “First Dates” doesn’t have a premiere date yet.
Barrymore is also starring in Netflix’s upcoming “Santa Clarita Diet” alongside Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”). The duo “play husband-and-wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in an L.A. suburb, until she goes through a dramatic change sending both their lives down a road of death and destruction — but in a good way.” The series will be available on the streaming service next year.
There’s no doubt that Barrymore would make a charming talk show host. She’s always been refreshingly candid and warm on the press circuit. But she’ll also bring a lot of her own interests and talents to the table. While she’s best known for her work on-screen, Barrymore co-founded a production company in 1995. Flower Films has produced features such as “Charlie’s Angel’s,” “Donnie Darko,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and “How to Be Single.” Barrymore has served as an EP on the reality TV series “Tough Love” and “Knife Fights.” She’s a businesswoman, too: she has her own cosmetics company, Flower Beauty.
All of this being said, we’d love to see Barrymore back in the director’s chair. She made her feature narrative debut back in 2009 with “Whip It,” a girl power movie led by Ellen Page. We were won over by the feel-good story about a roller derby league, and hoped to see more films helmed by Barrymore.
