Well, this one stings.THR reportsthatJennifer Lawrence, who just this morning released a short but effective letter rallying against pay inequality between male and female actors, announced today that she will be dropping out ofThe Rosie Project, one of the more promising works currently percolating forRichard Linklater. There hasn’t been an official reason given for her leaving the project, but the almost simultaneous announcement that Lawrence will next be starring inDarren Aronofsky’s expectedly enigmatic next project certainly gives a bit of a hint as to where the decision came from. Seeing as Linklater is one of the preeminent American auteurs working today, following upBoyhood, the most successful and ambitious film of his career, the idea of him pairing with Lawrence seemed both surprising and natural, and one can hope that they’ll get a chance to re-team in the future.
In the meantime, Lawrence is finishing filmingPassengers,Morten Tyldum’s follow-up toThe Imitation Game, and will be leadingStephen Spielberg’sIt’s What I Dosometime soon after. Beyond that, however, Lawrence’s schedule is pretty clear, with her final appearances inThe Hunger GamesandX-Menfranchises coming quite soon, and her latest re-teaming withDavid O. Russell,Joy, coming out later this year. Adapted fromGraeme Simsion’s novel of the same name,The Rosie Projectwould have likely been her next film, but the film will go on without her, as Sony is now scrambling to find an actress to replace her. As for Linklater, he’s currently in post-production forEverybody Wants Some, his spirit-sequel toDazed and Confused, his early masterwork, and will be serving as a producer on theSchool of Rocktelevision show which is currently in pre-production at Nickelodeon. So, as much as I’m sureThe Rosie Projectwould have made for a great collaboration between two tremendously talented artists, both Lawrence and Linklater have plenty of promising work on their plates.
