What to Expect When You're Expecting Adds Elizabeth Banks

MovieWeb

By Brian Gallagher

Published Jul 11, 2011

The actress will play a self-help author with strict beliefs on parenting, until she becomes pregnant for the first time herself.

Lionsgate and the producers of the film adaptation of the worldwide bestselling book What to Expect When You're Expecting are thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Banks (The 40 Year Old Virgin, W., The Next Three Days, 30 Rock and Lionsgate's upcoming The Hunger Games) has been cast to star with Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Brooklyn Decker and Anna Kendrick in the film, which is expected to begin shooting mid-Summer 2011, and will be in theaters everywhere on May 11, 2012.

Banks' character is baby-crazy - the author of a children's book about breast feeding and owner of The Breast Choice boutique, she is militant in her beliefs about what makes a good mother until she gets pregnant for the first time.

Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine, Nanny McPhee) is directing the film, which was acquired from a script by Heather Hach and re-written by Shauna Cross (Whip It!). The film is based on the book by Heidi Murkoff that has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 500 weeks. Lionsgate has worldwide rights to the film.

Banks is represented by Alissa Vradenburg of Untitled Entertainment for management, United Talent Agency, and law firm Ziffren Brittenham LLP, who negotiated the deal on her behalf.

Robert Melnik, SVP Business & Legal Affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate. Alli Shearmur, President of Motion Picture Production and Development, and Jim Miller, SVP Motion Picture Production and Development are overseeing the production for Lionsgate.

Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer and David Thwaites are producing, with Douglas Mckay co-producing, through their Phoenix Pictures. Heidi and Erik Murkoff will executive produce along with their literary manager Alan Nevins of Renaissance Literary & Talent.

About the Film

Based on the 16 million copy best-selling book, What to Expect When You're Expecting is an ensemble romantic-comedy is in the vein of Love Actually and Valentine's Day. The film is a modern look at love through the eyes of four interconnected couples experiencing the thrills and surprises of having a baby, and ultimately coming to understand the universal truth that no matter what you plan for, life doesn't always deliver what's expected.