Gina Wendkos Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Whether you like it or not, the success of Sex and the City has breathed new life into the so-called 'chick flick' landscape (heck, it even gave The Women another shot at the multiplex). So get ready for more 'Ya-Ya Sisterhood' on the big screen, because Hollywood is finally starting to figure out that women like to go to the movies. Next up, according to Variety, is Lauren Weisberger's novel Chasing Harry Winston for Universal and Mandalay Pictures. You might recognize Weisberger as the author of the best-selling novel, The Devil Wears Prada, and Winston is her latest book to spend some time on the NYT's best-seller list.

Winston "revolves around three young women who each vow to change their entire lives for the better in the course of the next year" -- and you can probably guess how each of them is going to 'change' their lives. One glance at the cover art gives this gal a quick education in what this book probably has in store for its readers. Gina Wendkos (The Princess Diaries) has already been signed to write the script, and Andy Tennant will direct.

The addition of Tennant is probably where the last of any desire I might have had to watch this movie disappears all together. Call me judgmental if you must, but Tennant was the director behind films like Sweet Home Alabama, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Fools Gold; so I doubt this film is going to deviate from form. Plus, if you are anything like me (and I know there has to be some of you out there) this current crop of 'movies for girls' is starting to get a little insulting. I like shopping as much as the next girl, but there is more to our gender than marriage-mania and rampant consumerism; isn't there?

It's just like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The most popular girl in school (Cordelia) is "unexpectedly rejected" by the nerdiest guy (Xander). "Her social status drops, his rises, and the rules of popularity shift for the entire school." Okay, Xander wasn't lucky enough to have that happen, but he did have a moment where every woman in town wanted him. Anyhow, this is the premise for an upcoming comedy called Big Man on Campus, and The Hollywood Reporter posts that Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont (Can't Hardly Wait and Made of Honor) are penning a rewrite.

Cinematical first posted about the film in January of 2007, when first-time director Hal Lieberman had signed on to helm the script by Gina Wendkos (My Two Dads, Jersey Girl, Coyote Ugly, and The Princess Diaries). Since then, things have been silent, and I'm not sure what took the project this long to get a rewrite. I imagine the writing pair have been brought in to sass the script up, especially if they tap back into their Hardly roots. I just hope that whatever it becomes, it's one of those high school flicks that doesn't rely on ridiculous stereotypes, or calls hot guys or girls nerds because they wear glasses or, say, overalls.

One of the things that couples do is they look for other couples to hang out with. Why? Because men and women aren't crazy about their significant others strolling around town with single folk. So, couples plan activities with fellow couples -- they go to dinner, go bowling, go to a movie -- and it doesn't matter much if they have a ton in common as individuals, they're couples ... that's what counts. Well, Columbia Pictures has snatched up a pitch that places us inside the world of couples, but puts a bit of a spin on it.

Normally, when we see films that focus on couples, they're either breaking up, cheating on one another, complaining about kids, getting pregnant, hiding their love for one another from each others parents ... blah blah blah. However, My Wife Hates Your Wife -- which Will Smith will produce through his Overlook Entertainment alongside partner James Lassiter -- centers around two couples who do everything together until the ladies have a falling out. But, since the men are still good friends, they must now find a way to see each other in secret in order to avoid conflict from their partner. Gina Wendkos (The Princess Diaries) will pen the script, and there's a small chance Will Smith will star ... assuming he likes the script and it includes roles for everyone in his family. Seriously, I'm still waiting for Will Smith's pet fish to show up in a film alongside the Bad Boy. You think I'm joking -- just wait my friends. Just wait.