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 21 to October 27. 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

Lucy Boyton (Sing Street) to executive produce and star in Marianne Faithfull biopic. Source: Deadline

Jill Soloway (Transparent) to direct feature film about Sally Ride, the first American woman to go to space. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Dakota Johnson (50 Shades of Grey) and former Netflix development executive Ro Donnelly form TeaTime Pictures to develop film and television projects. Source: Deadline

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne set to co-direct their feature debut inspired by The Ellen DeGeneres Show‘s head writer, Lauren Pomerantz. Source: Deadline

Colette and Disobedience screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz to write movie about Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s investigation into Harvey Weinstein. Source: Variety

Casting News

Ana de la Reguera (The Book of Life) to lead the latest instalment of the Purge film franchise. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) to lead in the Kata Wéber scripted Pieces of a Woman. Source: Variety

Michelle Monaghan (Made of Honor) cast in an undisclosed role in Zoe Lister-Jones’ The Craft remake for Blumhouse. Source: Deadline

Danielle Macdonald (Unbelievable) joins Michelle Pfeiffer in Sony Pictures Classics’ French Exit. Source: Deadline

Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) cast opposite Colin Firth (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) in WWII drama Operation Mincemeat. Source: Deadline

Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings) will lead action-thriller Avarice for Epic Pictures. Source: Variety

Olivia DeJonge (The Society) cast as Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis musical biopic. Source: Deadline

Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game) is trading in her prolific film work for a while as she is to have her West End debut with A Doll‘s House. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Natalie Martinez (Death Race), Marina De Tavira (Roma), and Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) cast in Lisa Joy’s directorial debut Reminiscence. Source: Deadline

TV News

HBO to co-produce Michaela Coel’s sexual consent drama January 22nd. Source: Deadline

Alia Shawkat (Search Party) cast opposite Jeff Bridges in FX’s pilot The Old Man. Source: Variety

Melanie Lynskey cast as one of the leads in Showtime’s Yellojackets. Source: Variety

Shalini Bathina (Undergrad) and Brittany O’Grady (Star) cast in main roles in Sara Bareilles (Waitress), Jessie Nelson (Waitress), and J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) music dramedy series Little Voice. Source: Deadline

Tony award-nominated star Amber Gray (Hadestown) has been cast in a supporting role in Amazon’s The Underground Railroad. Source: Deadline

Zosia Mamet (Girls) has been cast in Kaley Cuoco’s The Flight Attendant. Source: Deadline

New Releases

*releases may vary depending on region*

In theatres:

• Tales From the Lodge written and directed by Abigail Blackmore (Limited release in the UK)
• 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)

Streaming:

• Jenny Slate: Stage Fright directed by Gillian Robespierre and written by Jenny Slate (Netflix)
• Sid & Judy (Documentary) written by Claire Didier (Showtime) 

VOD/Home Video:

• Paradise Hills directed by Alice Waddington (November 1)
• The Farewell written and directed by Lulu Wang (October 29)
• Wonder Woman: Bloodlines written by Mairghread Scott
• Satanic Panic directed by Chelsea Stardust
• The Kitchen written and directed by Andrea Berloff
• Blue directed by Gabriela Ledesma; written by Ledesma and Callie Schuttera
• Angel of Mine directed by Kim Farrant
• Miss Virginia written by Erin O’Connor

Update

Sony Pictures Worldwide acquires Diana Paragas’ musical drama Yellow Rose. Source: Deadline

Lulu Wang’s The Farewell scores a theatrical release in China, slated to open on November 22nd. Source: Deadline

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