The purpose of this weekly news roundup is to highlight and celebrate films/TV from and about women. The news collected in this weeks roundup was announced between October 14 to October 20. As there is an abundance of news, some stories may slip through the cracks. In the event of this happening, please reply below with any news or release information about films/TV made or about women that should be shared.

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation!

Women Behind The Camera

Robin Wright’s (House of Cards) directorial debut lands at Focus Features and shooting is underway in Canada. Source: Variety

Drew Barrymore to executive produce adaptations of Casey Lyall’s Howard Wallace, P.I. and Anne Ursu’s The Lost Girl through her Flower Films shingle. Source: Deadline

Josephine Decker (Madeline’s Madeline) to helm the adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere for Apple and A24. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Monica Beletsky (Fargo) signs a multi-year overall deal with Apple. Source: Deadline

Hillary Seitz to adapt Kate Southwood’s debut novel Falling to Earth. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Casting News

Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) steals the bag to become the latest actress to play Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Source: Variety

Naomie Harris (Moonlight) to play Venom 2‘s villain Shriek opposite Tom Hardy’s Venom. Source: Variety

Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) joins the cast of Snake Eyes, the G.I. Joe spin-off starring Henry Golding as the titular character. Source: THR

DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It) cast in leading role in Jurassic World 3. Source: Variety

Jada Pinkett Smith (Girls Trip) in negotiations to join the cast The Matrix 4. Source: Deadline

Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist) in talks to star in Matrix 4 in an undisclosed leading role. Source: Deadline

Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) in talks to star in Robert Eggers’ The Northman. Source: Deadline

Hadley Robison (Little Women) and Lauren Tsai (Legion) will star in Amy Poehler’s next directorial feature Moxie for Netflix. Source: Variety

Neve Campbell (Scream) to star in Justin Baldoni’s second feature Clouds. Source: Deadline

Audra McDonald (Beauty and the Beat) and Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) join Jennifer Hudson (Cats) in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Jenna Ortega (Jane the Virgin) cast in Netflix’s The Babysitter sequel. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Alisha Wainwright (Shadowhunters) cast opposite Justin Timberlake in Palmer. Source: Deadline

Indya Moore (Pose) joins Taylor Russell (Lost in Space) and Isabelle Fuhrman (The Orphan) in Escape Room 2. Source: Deadline

TV News

Mouna Traoré (Brown Girl Rising) and Zahra Bentham (White Lie) join the cat of Madam C.J. Walker, the eight-part series starring and executive produced by Octavia Spencer (Ma). Source: Deadline

Starz green light half-hour comedy Run the World from Leigh Davenport (Boomerang) and Yvette Lee Bowser (Dear White People). The show will star Bresha Webb (Marlon) and Amber Stevens West (The Carmichael Show) as two of the four leads. Source: Deadline

RubyRock Pictures, Clipper Media Capital, and Wild Bunch Tv have joined forces to produce female-led anthology series Her Horror. Source: Variety

Sonya Walger and Krys Marshall have been pumped up to series regulars for For All Mankind season 2. Source: Deadline

Natalie Morales (Abby’s) has joined the cast of Dead to Me season 2. Source: Variety

Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) cast in key co-starring role opposite Jessica Rothe in HBO Max’s half-hour comedy Delilah. Source: Deadline

New Releases

*releases may vary depending on region*

In theatres:

• Maleficent: Mistress of Evil written by Linda Woolverton
• Greener Grass written and directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe (Limited and VOD release)
• Netizens (Documentary) written and directed by Cynthia Lowen (Limited and VOD release)
• The Elephant Queen (Documentary) co-directed by Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble (Limited release)
• Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace (Documentary) – Written and Directed by April Wright (Limited release on October 24)

Streaming:

• Jenny Slate: Stage Fright directed by Gillian Robespierre and written by Jenny Slate (Releases October 22 on Netflix)
• Sid & Judy (Documentary) written by Claire Didier (Premieres October 18 on Showtime) 

VOD/Home Video:

• Wonder Woman: Bloodlines written by Mairghread Scott (October 22)
• Satanic Panic directed by Chelsea Stardust (October 22)
• The Kitchen written and directed by Andrea Berloff (October 22)
• Blue directed by Gabriela Ledesma; written by Ledesma and Callie Schuttera (October 22)
• Angel of Mine directed by Kim Farrant (October 22)
• Miss Virginia written by Erin O’Connor

Update

IFC Films acquires the North American rights to Shannon Murphy’s directorial debut Babyteeth. Source: Variety

Trailer of the Week

by Ferdosa Abdi

Ferdosa Abdi is a lifelong film student and aspiring film festival programmer. Her favourite genres are science-fiction, fantasy, and horror and her favourite director is Guillermo del Toro. She is madly in love with Eva Green and believes she should be cast in everything. You can follow Ferdosa on Twitter @atomicwick