Lionsgate continues their relationship with Lakeshore Entertainment as they have signed a deal for the U.S. rights to ONE FOR THE MONEY, the film version of Janet Evanovich’s bestselling novel of the same name.
Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) can’t catch a break. At 30, she finds herself newly-divorced, recently laid-off, and living with her hamster in Trenton, N.J. Broke and desperate, she lands a job working for her slimy cousin and his bail bond business. In need of fast cash she latches on to his biggest case – a local cop wanted for murder who just happens to be the guy that broke her heart in high school. Stephanie gets resourceful and tough, as she is swept up in a suspenseful world of murder, deceit, with a bit of romance.
Julie Ann Robinson (WEEDS, GRAYS’S ANATOMY) is directing, with a screenplay by Liz Brixius. Liz is one of the creative folk behind Showtime’s NURSE JACKIE. I should say that Liz is behind the current screenplay, having been brought in to rework a script from Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (THE UGLY TRUTH, TEH HOUSE BUNNY). The idea of a script by the folks from THE UGLY TRUTH is less and inspiring, but NURSE JACKIE is damn good and I am thinking Liz will make it pop.
Lakeshore’s Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi will be producing with Sidney Kimmel and Wendy Finerman (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA).
Said Rosenberg, “Janet Evanovich has created an extraordinary literary character in Stephanie Plum. Katherine Heigl is the perfect actress to bring Stephanie to the screen. Gary Lucchesi and I are thrilled to be reunited with her after our wonderful experience on THE UGLY TRUTH. This is our second collaboration with Sidney Kimmel and we are looking forward to many more. Having worked on several films with Lionsgate over the years, we know that ONE FOR THE MONEY is in the best possible hands.”
Said Kimmel, “We are thrilled to be partnering again with Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg on this exciting project. ONE FOR THE MONEY will be a great second collaboration. With Katherine Heigl lending her tremendous talent to Janet Evanovich’s character, we foresee a great film in the making.”
I still think Heigl is totally wrong for this. Not simply because she does not look the part, but because everything I have seen her in has been pretty wretched. I am glad the folks behind THE UGLY TRUTH had a wonderful experience because my own was of misery for the full 96 minutes.
