Jenny from the Block is taking on the wolves of Wall Street. Variety confirms that Jennifer Lopez will topline “Hustlers,” a pic inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine story about former strip club employees who hatch a plan to steal tens of thousands of dollars from their Wall Street clients.
Lorene Scafaria is directing the Annapurna Pictures title and penned the script.
Lopez will play the ringleader of the dancers.
Set in New York City in the late aughts, “Hustlers” is an “empathetic look at women and men, our gender roles, what we’re valued for, what we’ve been told is our value in every movie, TV show, every corner of culture,” Scafaria said. “Men have been told they’re worth the size of their bank accounts. Women have been told they’re worth the symmetry of their faces, their bodies, their beauty, and that’s what this film is based on. The rules of the club are the rules of the world.”
The writer-director added, “There is no other actor who could embody this raw and dynamic character with such complexity, humanity, and intelligence. It’s always been her. She’s f—ing Jennifer Lopez.”
Also producing is Jessica Elbaum, who will produce through her Gloria Sanchez banner. Scafaria is co-producing, and Lopez is among the project’s exec producers.
Lopez stars as Harlee Santos on “Shades of Blue,” a crime drama currently in its third and final season on NBC. “Will & Grace” and “The Boy Next Door” are among the former “American Idol” judge’s recent acting credits. She’ll next be seen in “Second Act,” a comedy about a woman who fakes credentials to land a job. The pic hits theaters November 21.
Scafaria’s latest film, 2015’s “The Meddler,” saw Susan Sarandon playing a mother who doesn’t respect her daughter’s boundaries. Her other credits include “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” and episodes of “New Girl.”
“Just make a great movie, no matter what size it is,” Scafaria urged when we asked her advice for other female filmmakers. ” Fight all the good fights to make it your vision the first time. I would give the same advice to any director,” she added. “Learn how the money is handled. Stay optimistic. Actors want to work. Give them characters they want to play, or a story they want to tell, and hopefully the budget will follow. Then make the movie your way. Surround yourself with people who know more than you. Be nice to everyone. Stay present. Have fun. Allow yourself to feel things. Admit when you’re wrong. Don’t compromise when you’re right.”
