As we previously reported, powerhouse Nicole Kidman and her production company, Blossom Films, have picked up the rights to another Meg Wolitzer best-seller. Now, Variety writes Wolitzer’s “The Female Persuasion” will be a part of Kidman’s first-look deal with Amazon studios. Kidman will both exec produce and act in the film.
“The Female Persuasion” follows college student Greer Kadetsky who speaks out after being sexually assaulted at a fraternity party. After her university fails to properly penalize her assailant, Greer is left to deal with his subsequent abuses and take action alone. Exec producers include “This Is Us” co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger and producer Lynda Obst (“Contact”).
“The Female Persuasion” is the second Wolitzer adaptation to head to the big screen. “The Wife,” starring Glenn Close and penned by Jane Anderson, was released earlier this year. Wolitzer’s other novels include “The Ten-Year Nap,” “The Uncoupling,” and “The Interestings.”
This feature will presumably help fill the current “addictive female dramas” hole in Amazon Studios’ repertoire. Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke has acknowledged that they need their own “Big Little Lies” or “The Handmaid’s Tale” — works “that can culturally break through but feel original and are very addictive.” The streamer hopes that, by pairing with someone as dynamic as Kidman, they will achieve just that.
Kidman’s slate has been overflowing with projects as of late. Her other production projects include adaptations of Cecelia Ahern’s collection of short stories, Liane Moriarty’s “Truly Madly Guilty,” and “The Expatriates,” a series based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s book of the same name.
Last year, Kidman received two Emmys for her work on HBO’s “Big Little Lies.” The hit series just finished filming its second season with director Andrea Arnold. Her other upcoming acting credits include “The Goldfinch,” “Fair and Balanced,” and Karyn Kusama’s crime drama “Destroyer,” set to hit theaters this Christmas.