Mila Kunis is set to star in Netflix’s film adaptation of “Luckiest Girl Alive,” which is based on author Jessica Knoll’s 2015 bestselling novel.
Mike Barker (“Black Match,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Fargo”) will direct the film, and Knoll herself is adapting the screenplay based on her book.
In “Luckiest Girl Alive,” Kunis will play Ani FaNelli, a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.
The book is told through Ani’s perspective and was heralded for its examination of the pressure faced by women to have it all and put on appearances, with Ani going by different names throughout the book as she strives to reinvent her image. “Luckiest Girl Alive” has been compared to “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train,” both of which were adapted into films. Knoll’s novel has sold over a million copies and has been translated into 38 different languages.
Bruna Papandrea and Jeanne Snow will produce “Luckiest Girl Alive” for Made Up Stories. Erik Feig and Lucy Kitada will also produce for PICTURESTART, as will Mila Kunis for Orchard Farm Productions. Knoll will executive produce along with Lisa Sterbakov for Orchard Farm Productions, Shayne Fiske Goldner for PICTURESTART and Steve Hutensky for Made Up Stories.
“Luckiest Girl Alive” was originally optioned back in 2015 by Lionsgate, with Reese Witherspoon meant to produce the film.
Kunis most recently starred in “Breaking News in Yuba County.” Barker recently directed the pilot for “The Sandman” and the upcoming series “Hit & Run.
Mila Kunis is represented by CAA, Curtis Talent Management and attorney Patti Felker. Jessica Knoll is represented by CAA for film and television, and Paradigm for publishing, as well as Christine Cuddy at Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo. Mike Barker is represented by CAA, Independent Talent Group in the UK and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
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