After dabbling in comedy with “No Hard Feelings,” Jennifer Lawrence is tapping back into her funny bone with a new project with A24.
Lawrence will star in and produce “Why Don’t You Love Me?” which is based on a graphic novel by Paul B. Rainey published in 2023. The logline is merely that Lawrence will star as one half of a couple struggling through their marriage while feeling like something is not quite right in their reality.
But Rainey’s book is described as a science-fiction dark comedy about marriage, alcoholism, and depression in which the couple realizes this unhappy marriage is not the life they chose for themselves upon hearing news of an impending nuclear war on the radio. Lawrence’s character is a chain-smoking stalker and couch potato who spends the bulk of her time in a bathrobe, and both she and her husband wonder if this life of theirs is all just a dream.
Robert Funke, known for “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” has been tapped to write the screenplay adaptation.
“Midsommar” director Ari Aster is producing “Why Don’t You Love Me?” on behalf of his Square Peg banner alongside Lars Knudsen, and Emily Hildner. Lawrence and Justine Ciarrocchi are also producing for Excellent Cadaver, and Rainey is executive producing.
Lawrence most recently teamed with A24 on the Apple drama “Causeway” from 2022. She also recently signed on to produce and star in another A24 and Apple project called “The Wives” that is a murder-mystery inspired by the “Real Housewives” franchise. She’s currently at work on “Die, My Love” with Lynne Ramsay.
Lawrence’s production banner Excellent Cadaver was formed in 2018, and outside of the films Lawrence has starred in, it also produced the documentary “Bread & Roses” about the impact of women’s lives after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021. The film premiered at Cannes in 2023 and will air on Apple TV+ soon.
Funke is represented at CAA, Mosaic and Lichter Grossman. Rainey is represented by Gersh, who handled the deal for the book. Excellent Cadaver is represented by LBI.
