Emily Carmichael to Direct ‘Lumberjanes’ for Fox (Exclusive)

Film follows five young girls at summer camp who must unite to fight a supernatural threat

Emily Carmichael

Rising indie filmmaker Emily Carmichael will direct “Lumberjanes” for 20th Century Fox, TheWrap has learned.

Considered a female version of “The Goonies, “Lumberjanes” tells the story of five young girls at summer camp who must unite to fight a supernatural threat to the camp and the surrounding forest.

Ross Richie and Stephen Christy are producing for BOOM!, with Adam Yoelin co-producing.

“Lumberjanes” was published two years ago via BOOM!’s BOOM! Box imprint, and was created by Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke Allen.

Will Widger wrote the first draft of the script. The project is a priority at the studio, and Carmichael is the second female director hired onto a Fox movie in as many months, with “Kung Fu Panda 3″‘s Jennifer Yuh Nelson recently being hired to direct “Darkest Minds” for the studio.

Earlier this year, the studio had no female directors slated through 2018.

“Lumberjanes” has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide since its debut, and has become one of the biggest breakout comic book franchises of recent memory, with a devoted following of readers.

Carmichael is on a hot streak since directing award-winning shorts such as 2011’s “The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting” and 2013’s “RPG OKC.”

Back in the spring, she set up “Powerhouse” at Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin Entertainment with “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow and Simon Kinberg attached to produce.

She was also the subject of rampant speculation that she might direct Brie Larson in Marvel’s upcoming “Captain Marvel.”

Carmichael is repped by Verve.

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