Radha Blank’s banner week continues. Just days ago her feature directorial debut, “The 40-Year-Old Version,” landed her the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival, and now Netflix has announced that it’s acquired the pic.
Penned by Blank, the comedy tells the story of a struggling New York playwright who decides to reinvent herself as a rapper. Blank plays the lead.
When we asked the multi-hyphenate what drew her to the story, she said, “It was less about being drawn and more like an exorcism. I had to get it out. I had experienced so much rejection and loss over a period of time I had to perform and create to get through it.” She continued, “‘The 40-Year-Old Version’ gave me a place to work through a lot of my grief from losing my mother and get over my fears around turning 40, but the movie also gave me a chance to insert a not-often-seen character into the canon of New York stories. I’m a native New Yorker and just wanted to celebrate that.”
As for her advice for other women filmmakers, she urged, “Surround yourself with people who can affirm your voice and power. People who won’t expect you to shrink or apologize for your talent, position, or opportunity. I feel like society constantly does this to women — asks them to keep earning their spot or being grateful for an opportunity to tell a story when we just want to fucking work. I don’t see this happen as often with my male counterparts,” she observed. “Also, you will need your entire backbone to pull this shit off. Though women have been conditioned to play the supporting role in this world, you must believe in your ability to not only complete your film but to lead others in helping you to do so.”
Blank’s writing credits include “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Empire.”
In a statement about the acquisition Blank said, “It took years of trying to get this film made. It’s my love letter to NY and its struggling artists as well as the NY artistic institutions that raised me — Hip Hop and Theater,” said Blank. “I made this film in the spirit of the great NY auteurs who came before me but from an angle not often seen. I’m so very proud of the artisans, many from New York, who helped me craft this movie with such loving and capable hands,” she emphasized. “As a new member of the Netflix family, I’m excited about the global audience that this film will reach. I hope it will spark the next generation of fearless filmmakers in any part of the world. I’m thrilled that this came together with Netflix.”
No word on when to expect “The 40-Year-Old Version” to launch on Netflix. Blank and “Queen & Slim” scribe Lena Waithe are among the pic’s producers.
