The purpose of this weekly news roundup is to highlight and celebrate films/TV from and about women. The news collected in this week’s roundup was announced between November 25 to December 1. 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

Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels) is set to direct and star in Universal’s Invisible Woman. Source: Deadline

Shannon Murphy (Babyteeth) will helm the TV adaptation of Emily Bitto’s The Strays. Source: Variety

Casting News

Andrea Riseborough (The Grudge) has been cast as the lead in the British psychological thriller Here Before, the feature debut from writer and director Stacey Gregg (The Innocents). Source: Deadline

Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) and Andrea Riseborough (The Grudge) to star in Amanda Kramer’s follow up feature Please Baby Please. Source: Deadline

Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman cast as the lead in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix adaptation of The Prom. Source: Deadline

TV News

BBC Three acquires Aidy Bryant’s comedy series Shrill. Source: Deadline

Amy Seimetz (Pet Semetary) to play FBI attorney Trisha Anderson on CBS’s James Comey miniseries. Source: Deadline

BET+’s First Wives Club renewed for a second season. Source: Deadline

Fox to develop family comedy Tough Love from Lacey Friedman (The Goldbergs). Source: Deadline

Netflix cancels Anne With an E after three seasons. Source: Variety

New Releases

*releases may vary depending on region*

In theatres:

• Queen & Slim written by Lena Waithe and directed by Melina Matsoukas
• Frozen II written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Schroeder; directed by Lee and Chris Buck
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood directed by Marielle Heller
• The Warrior Queen of Jhansi written and directed by Swati Bhise
• Charlie’s Angels written and directed by Elizabeth Banks
• Last Christmas written by Emma Thompson
• Honey Boy directed by Alma Har’el

Streaming:

• Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah directed by Linda Mendoza (Netflix)
• Hala written and directed by Minhal Baig (Apple TV)
• The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open written and directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn (Netflix)
• The Knight Before Christmas directed by Monika Mitchell and written by Cara J. Russell (Netflix)
• Dollface created by Jordan Weiss (Hulu)
• The Club written and directed by Camila Ibarra (Netflix)
• Good Girls Get High written and directed by Laura Terruso (DirectTV)
• Let It Snow written by Victoria Strouse (Netflix)
• Lady and the Tramp written by Kari Granlund (Disney+)
• Dublin Murders created by Sarah Phelps (Starz)

VOD/Home Video:

• Abominable directed and written by Jill Culton
• Hustlers written and directed by Lorene Scafaria
• Blinded by the Light written and directed by Gurinder Chadha
• The Fare written by Brianna Kelly
• Queen of Hearts written and directed by May el-Toukhly
• The Weekend written and directed by Stella Meghie
• The Farewell written and directed by Lulu Wang

Update

Mounia Meddour’s debut feature Papicha becomes the most successful African film directed by a woman at the French box office. Source: Variety

Trailer of the Week

Here is the first trailer for Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma for Focus Features.

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