Olivia Wilde has signed on to direct her first blockbuster. The “Booksmart” helmer finalized a deal with Sony Pictures “to develop and direct an untitled, female-centric Marvel film project for the studio,” Variety reports. Sources are speculating that the feature revolves around Spider-Woman, a theory Wilde seemed to confirm when she re-tweeted the news with a spider emoji and posted a photo on Instagram of her daughter wearing a Spidey suit.
Katie Silberman, who co-wrote “Booksmart” and has other projects lined up with Wilde, is set to pen the high profile project. Amy Pascal is producing and Rachel O’Connor is set to exec produce.
“The Spider-Woman title has been held by several Marvel Comics characters throughout the years, starting with Jessica Drew in the 1970s (whose origin story involves uranium exposure and spider blood), and also including Mary-Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy. The ‘Spider-Gwen’ version of the character has most recently appeared in the animated feature ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ voiced by Hailee Steinfeld,” the source details.
Wilde has been seriously in-demand behind the camera since making her feature directorial debut with last year’s “Booksmart,” a critically acclaimed buddy comedy starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein. “It is remarkable that I am 35 years old and [‘Booksmart’] is the first job I’ve ever had that wasn’t entirely dependent on and connected to my looks,” she told The New York Times. “It grosses me out to acknowledge it, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it.” Her upcoming slate includes “Perfect,” a biopic of Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug, “Don’t Worry, Darling,” a psychological thriller about a 1950s housewife, and an untitled holiday comedy. Silberman is attached to write the latter two.
Back in May word spread that S.J. Clarkson would be directing a project about a female Marvel character, marking the first female-led film from Sony’s catalogue of Marvel characters. That character is rumored to be Madame Web.
Wilde’s recent on-screen credits include “Richard Jewell” and “A Vigilante.”