After the disaster that was ‘Charlie’s Angels’, Elizabeth Banks who co-wrote, starred in, produced, and directed, might want to vanish, and she sort of will. Banks has signed on to direct, produce, and star in ‘The Invisible Woman’.
No, not that one.
The picture that Banks will star in is for Universal and is just the latest film that seeks to mine the studio’s rich library of classic monsters. The original ‘Invisible Woman’ was released in 1940 and was a screwball comedy, even though it was considered a sequel of sorts to 1933’s ‘The Invisible Man’ and 1940’s ‘The Invisible Man Returns’. Virginia Bruce starred in the titular role of Kitty Carroll, a department store model who was wrongly fired from her job. After being turned invisible by a device built by batty old inventor Professor Gibbs (John Barrymore), Kitty uses her new state to get revenge on her old boss and to thwart a group of bumbling crooks (including The Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard).
Erin Cressida Wilson (‘The Girl on the Train’) penned the most recent screenplay, which is described as ‘Thelma and Louise’ meets ‘American Psycho’.
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It does not appear that ‘The Invisible Woman’ will be connected to Universal’s horror thriller ‘The Invisible Man’ which is due in theaters on February 28. That film is directed by Leigh Whannell and stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Elisabeth Moss.
But this is another attempt on the part of Universal to revive its monster franchise following the failure of ‘The Mummy’ and the dissolution of its planned Dark Universe.
Also in development are ‘Renfield’ to be directed by ‘Rocketman’s Dexter Fletcher, about Dracula’s henchman, and ‘Dark Army’ from director Paul Feig, which may also be a comedy.
Banks’ husband, Max Hendelman, is also producing through their Brownstone Productions.
Check back for updates as they become available.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
