‘Drinking Buddies’ Director Joe Swanberg Will Go Mainstream With ‘Work Wife’
Over the past decade,Joe Swanberghas built himself a nice career in the indie realm. He rose to prominence as one of the leading figures of the mumblecore movement, then had two of his most high-profile hits yet in 2013’sDrinking Buddiesand 2014’sHappy Christmas. But now he’s ready to mix things up.
Swanberg is set to directWork Wife, his first-ever studio project, for New Line.Trophy Wife’sEmily HalpernandSarah Haskinswrote the script. More on the Joe SwanbergWork Wifeproject after the jump.
According toTheWrap,Work Wifefollows two 30something lawyers who set out to see if they can date their co-workers. Aside from to the studio angle,Work Wifealso marks a departure for Swanberg in that it’ll be one of the only films he’s ever directed but not scripted. No actors are attached at this time.
Swanberg has directed 17 features in all, starting with his 2005 debutKissing on the Mouth. His recent work, includingDrinking BuddiesandHappy Christmas, has been some of his most commercial yet, featuring well known names like Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Anna Kendrick.
His latest effort isDigging for Fire, which reunites him withDrinking Buddies' Johnson and Kendrick. In their Sundance review,Varietynoted that Digging for Fire “continues his march toward the mainstream. Now it seems he’s actually reached the mainstream withWork Wife.
As different asWork Wifeis from Swanberg’s other films, he actually seems like a good fit for the premise.Drinking Buddieswas also about a romantic entanglement between colleagues, and he managed to tease out the complicated relationship between its leads in an authentic and entertaining way.
Halpern and Haskins are the creators of the dearly loved but little-seen (and consequently short-live) ABC sitcomTrophy Wife.Work Wifeis one of a few features they have brewing. They previously scriptedLunch Lady, which is set up at Universal, and the high school comedyBooksmart, which was optioned by Fox.
