The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop a bidding war from erupting over “Perfect.” Searchlight Pictures has closed a deal for global rights to Olivia Wilde’s latest, shelling out $15 million. Variety confirmed the news.
A biopic of Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug, the pic will revisit how the gymnast overcame the odds — and an injury — at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Despite tearing two ligaments in her ankle in her first vault, Strug famously stuck the landing of her second, securing USA’s first-ever gold medal in the team all-around. She was carried onto the medals podium to be recognized alongside her team members, and became a national hero.
“Perfect” will be helmed by Wilde and is based on Strug and John P. Lopez’s book “Landing On My Feet, A Diary Of Dreams.”
Wilde made the presentation for “Perfect” at the Berlin Film Festival last month, “triggering the bidding war,” the source details. The “House” alumna won an Independent Spirit Award for her feature directorial debut, 2019’s “Booksmart,” a comedy about overachieving BFFs staring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. “It is remarkable that I am 35 years old and this is the first job I’ve ever had that wasn’t entirely dependent on and connected to my looks,” Wilde said prior to “Booksmart’s” release. “It grosses me out to acknowledge it, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it.” She emphasized, “I was there only because of my brain and my heart. And the sense of fulfillment that comes from that is really massive. It’s a profound shift for me.”
On screen, Wilde’s recent credits include “Richard Jewell,” “Life Itself,” and “A Vigilante.” Her upcoming directing slate includes “Don’t Worry, Darling,” a psychological thriller set in the 1950s, and an untitled holiday comedy.
