Sony Pictures has a new project in the works with Olivia Wilde, as the filmmaker has just signed on to direct a female-centric Marvel movie for the studio. Just last year, Wilde made her directorial debut with the comedy drama movie Booksmart, which earned the actress-turned-director great critical acclaim. For her new superhero movie with Sony, Wilde will be reuniting with Booksmart co-writer Katie Silberman, as Silberman will be writing the screenplay. Amy Pascal is also on board to produce with Rachel O'Connor executive producing.
As of now, it hasn't been revealed which project Wilde will be directing for Sony, as the studio and Marvel offered no comment to the news. However, Variety sources speculate that the unnamed project could be an official Spider-Woman movie. Back in May, the outlet had reported that S. J. Clarkson had signed on to develop the first female-centric Marvel movie for Sony, and their sources claim that there was a "strong possibility" that the movie would be starring Spider-Woman. While there doesn't seem to have been any updates on that project since, the news of Wilde's signing with the studio could mean that Sony is moving forward with their planned Spider-Woman movie with a new creative team
Although this is all just speculation at this point, it would certainly make sense for Sony to roll the dice with Spider-Woman. The character is among the most popular female superheroes of the Marvel brand, and that has only increased since the Spider-Gwen version of the character appeared in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in which she was voiced by Hailee Steinfeld. That version is also rumored to be a part of an animated Spider-Women spin-off. In the original comic books, Jessica Drew was the first to become Spider-Woman after an incident involving uranium and spider blood, though Stacy and Mary-Jane Watson have also portrayed their own Spider-Women in other comic book stories.
Wilde is very well known for her many acting roles, including a starring role on House and appearances in a variety of movies like Alpha Dog, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and The Lazarus Effect. In 2019, she stepped behind the camera to direct Booksmart, finding instant success with the movie earning her the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Additionally, Wilde is also set to direct the upcoming thriller Don't Worry Darling, which stars Florence Pugh (Fighting with My Family, Chris Pine (Star Trek), Shia LeBeouf (The Tax Collector), and Dakota Johnson (The Peanut Butter Falcon).
It's hard to say at this point if Wilde will be directing a Spider-Woman movie, or if she'll be taking on the story of another female Marvel superhero. Similarly, it's unclear if the movie will share a cinematic universe with Venom and Morbius. In any case, this is going to be a project for Marvel fans to watch out for, so hopefully more information will be soon forthcoming from Marvel and Sony Pictures. Meanwhile, comic book fans can also expect to see plenty of updates on various DC projects at DC FanDome this weekend. This news comes to us from Variety.