So you hear that Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy are teaming up for a film together. Two of the funniest women to emerge in Hollywood in the past decade? That will be good fun, right? Well, the duo are indeed teaming up for a film, but in a twist, it isn’t a comedy. In fact it’s a mob drama titled The Kitchen, an adaptation of a graphic novel.
The story takes place in 1970s Hell’s Kitchen and revolves around mob wives who end up taking over their husbands’ businesses when the FBI sweeps in and sends the men to jail. The fact that Haddish and McCarthy are the two names attached to such a gritty project is strange but exciting.
Extra good news is that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) will be making her directorial debut with the project, which actually has some similarities to the upcoming Steve McQueen film, Widows, which also focuses on a group of women, though this time taking place in the present day where their husbands are killed and they must complete a heist to pay off debts.
While McCarthy has had a few dramatic roles in recent years, most notably in St. Vincent, Haddish only truly broke out last year with Girls Trip, in a supporting role that probably should have netted her an Oscar nomination. It’s surprising but interesting that her first project she’d choose to undertake after that success would be a gritty mob drama.
To add even more intrigue to the film, there’s still a third lead role to be cast, and attention now turns to who will fill that role. Another predominantly comedic actress perhaps? Either way, The Kitchen has likely just rocketed up some most anticipated lists. No word yet on when production will begin, but that third lead role will likely be filled relatively soon.
#Peace.Love.TheKitchen
