The Rosie Project once looked like one of the hottest properties going around Hollywood. Phil Lord and Chris Miller wanted to direct it, from a script by The Fault In Our Stars' Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter. Jennifer Lawrence came aboard to star, bringing along Boyhood director Richard Linklater. When she dropped out, Linklater was quick to follow, and the film has been on the shelf ever since. Well, now it's back with a brand new director that isn't going to inspire as much enthusiasm.
Ben Taylor, who directed all three seasons of Amazon comedy Catastrophe, has taken over as director of the film. Okay, I guess? The story...well, to be honest it sounded a lot better before. Now it seems kind of lame. It follows a really intelligent, organized genetics professor who is lousy in love, so he designs a test that will help him find the perfect woman. Of course, he then meets Rosie, who he's attracted to despite her failing every one of the standards he had set. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Graeme Simsion, and spawned a 2014 sequel titled The Rosie Effect.
Nothing against Taylor, but a really strong romantic duo are going to be needed to carry this off. [THR]
