13 Jun – After a successful feature directorial debut in the form of the currently playing "Pitch Perfect 2", Elizabeth Banks is reportedly in talks to direct another feature film. Banks is currently in negotiations to helm the big screen adaptation of Victoria Aveyard's young adult novel, "Red Queen", according to The Hollywood Reporter. This will be a big step up for Banks in terms of budget and effects, as "Pitch Perfect 2" hardly used special effects and was made on a modest budget of USD29 million.
Released in May, the a cappella sequel has to date made USD252.8 million in less than a month, beating Jack Black's "School of Rock" worldwide gross of USD131.3 million and making it the highest-grossing musical comedy movie. Banks also starred in it, as well as in 2012's "Pitch Perfect", along with Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson.
It is a refreshing change to see a big studio like Universal entrust a female director with a big project, which could very well be the beginning of a franchise if "Red Queen" performs well at the box office, as it is no secret that Hollywood (or the movie industry, in general) is a heavily male-populated industry. "Red Queen" tells the story of a world divided by blood colour. Those who bleed Red are the lowest class in a nation ruled by those who bleed Silver, the elites. When 17-year-old Mae Barrow discovers her special powers (impossible for either Red or Silver) right when she is brought in front of the King and Queen, the King sets her up to marry one of his sons to hide the news and keep her under control. The movie is said to have "shades of "Hunger Games", "X-Men", "Game of Thrones" and "Cinderella"." That is something right up the 41-year-old actress-turned-director's alley as Banks did have experience acting in the "Hunger Games" franchise and the similarly comic book superpower-themed "Spider-Man" movies. Banks goes back to just actress mode when she appears in her other 2015 movies, "Magic Mike XXL" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2". (Photo source: JoBlo)