In a heated auction, Amazon Studios beat four other studios and streamers for aJulia RobertsandJennifer Anistonbody swap comedy.Palm SpringsdirectorMax Barbakow, who will write and direct, pitched the star powered comedy vehicle last week, perDeadline.
The announcement comes off the heel of the surprising box office success ofTicket to Paradise, which re-teamed Roberts with megastarGeorge Clooneyfor the fifth time on-screen since they first met and worked together onSteven Soderbergh’s seminal heist comedy filmOceans Eleven. In addition to the recentOl Parker-directed hit following a divorced couple banding together to stop their daughter’s marriage, Roberts has most recently appeared as Martha Mitchell alongsideSean Pennin the 2022 mini-seriesGaslit,which is a modern take on Watergate scandal by focusing on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the time. However, Roberts is probably best known for her roles in the ’90s rom-coms such as Vivian Ward inPretty Woman;Julianne Potter inMy Best Friend’s Wedding; Maggie Carpenter inRunaway Bride;and Anna Scott inNotting Hill.
On the other hand, Aniston – who popularized the quintessential Rachel haircut with her fan-favorite, fashion-forward character on the hit TV showFriends– has built a succesful TV and film career. Some of the latest additions to her filmography includeOffice Christmas Party, Dumplin’andCake.She also led the TV series,The Morning Show, alongsideReese Witherspoon. She also recently reunitedAdam Sandler, her co-star in the hilarious 2011 rom-comJust Go With It,for Netflix’sMurder Mysterywhich has a sequel in the works now. Like her future body swap comedy co-star, Aniston has appeared in countless action-comedy films such asAlong Came Polly, Bruce Almighty,The Bounty Hunter,Horrible Bosses,andWe’re the Millers.
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This isn’t the first hot-ticket item Barbakow has been attached to since his 2020 time loop comedy starringAndy SambergandCristin Miliotiwas purchased by Neon and Hulu at Sundance for a then-festival record sum – making him perfect for taking up the helm of another star-studded comedy redo of a common science-fiction trope. Given Barbakow’s success in the past with directing and writing the story for such an original-yet-unoriginal and beloved film likePalm Springs, which was also based on his original pitch, the body swap flick appears to be in the right hands.
With two of the most iconic leading ladies in Hollywood on board, it’s not hard to see why the project was in such demand. The comedy will be produced by LuckyChap Entertainment, the production label ofMargot Robbie,Tom AckerleyandJosey McNamara. Barbakow will also be producing along with Roberts and her Red Om Films banner as well as Aniston’s Echo Films.
TheAnistonandRoberts-led body swap film was just pitched early last week, so it might be some time before audiences learn anything more about the movie. Until then, stick with Collider for any future updates and additional details regarding the film.
