The long-asked-for standalone Black Widow movie is beginning to look like a reality now, as Marvel has reportedly found the director for the project. After reportedly meeting with over 70 filmmakers, Cate Shortland has signed on to direct the film. Shortland is an Australian director who has helmed the films Lore and Berlin Syndrome, but this will comfortably be the biggest project of her career.
Finding a female director has been a priority for the studio, although there were reportedly some male directors among the 70 that were interviewed. The hunt had been narrowed down last month to Amma Asante (Belle) and Maggie Betts (Novitiate), while Melanie Laurent (Breathe) and Kimberly Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry) almost made the cut.
Star Scarlett Johansson pushed for Shortland to land the gig as the actress was reportedly impressed by how the director handled the female lead of Lore.
The movie is looking like it will be a prequel set before The Avengers, with the most recent draft of the script being penned by Jac Schaeffer. As Marvel is keeping a tight lid on all their post-Avengers 4 releases, it’s unclear when Black Widow will actually happen, but it’s likely a priority for the studio.
At the moment, only its first female-led superhero movie Captain Marvel (March 8, 2019) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 5, 2019) are scheduled, but there’s a good chance Black Widow is in cinemas sometime in 2020. Better late than never.
#Peace.Love.BlackWidow
