Linklater ‘frontrunner to direct Lawrence’

Richard Linklater could be joining forces with Jennifer Lawrence on The Rosie Project.

The Oscar winning actress is attached to the Sony adaptation of the Graeme Simison novel. And following the departure of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who wished to work on the young Han Solo Star Wars movie, the Golden Globe winning director is being touted as the frontrunner to replace them, reports Deadline.

The book focuses on a genetics professor with limited social skills who thinks he has conjured a scientific survey to find a perfect mate. This goes awry when he meets Jennifer’s character Rosie, who is a mismatched woman who becomes irresistible to him.

The outlet added that the script was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber while Matt Tolmach and Michael Costigan are down to produce the film.

Meanwhile Variety also reported on Monday that Richard’s latest offering, a baseball comedy formerly titled That’s What I’m Talking About, will have an April 2016 release date.

The movie is his first offering since the critically acclaimed Boyhood, which starred Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke and was shot over a 12 year period.

Megan Ellison serves as producer on the baseball movie along with Sean Daniel, Sandra Adair, John Sloss and Ginger Sledge. Sean has worked with Richard in the past, as he along with the late Jim Jacks partnered with the filmmaker on his breakout 1993 teen comedy Dazed and Confused.

Blake Jenner portrays a pitcher in the flick who has joined a highly ranked college baseball team. However, Blake’s character has a tendency to party the night away, which could adversely impact his position. The movie is set in the 1980s in Texas and is Richard’s second baseball comedy following his rehashing of Bad News Bears in 2005.