EXCLUSIVE: Michael Showalter is set to direct a modern retelling of cult-classic romantic comedy Serendipity for Amazon MGM Studios and Miramax, Deadline has learned.
Script is by Marc Klein, who wrote the original film, with casting underway.
The film will be produced by Showalter and Jordana Mollick for Semi-Formal Productions, alongside Simon Fields, who produced the original. Jonathan Glickman, Alexandra Loewy, and Thom Zadra will exec produce for Miramax, alongside Klein.
Emily Crook is overseeing the project for Semi-Formal, which is under a multi-year, first-look film deal with Amazon MGM, while Arianna D’Andrea will oversee for Miramax.
Directed by Peter Chelsom and starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, 2001’s Serendipity centers on a couple of strangers who fall for each other one Christmas night in New York, despite being engaged to other people. Separating, their potential future together is left unresolved — until, seven years later, each begins searching for the other.
Miramax released the film to major success — a worldwide gross exceeding $77 million — at a much different moment for the rom-com. Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy and Simon Fields produced. No word yet on whether the new take will be for theaters or streaming.
In a statement on his Serendipity, Showalter said, “I am so honored and excited to get to live inside this iconic funny, romantic and intelligent world that Marc Klein has created. This new Serendipity is not a remake or even a reboot, I’d say it’s more of a rebuttal. Same title. New characters. New story and new ideas about love and relationships. Me and Jordana and everyone at Semi-Formal relish the opportunity to make another film with the whole team at Amazon MGM as well as our new partners at Miramax.”
Clearly, Showalter has major affection for the romantic comedy, in general. In the last decade, he’s dedicated significant focus to the genre, to strong results: Most recently, there was The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine — an adaptation of the novel by Robinne Lee, which a couple of years ago secured Prime Video’s top rom-com debut of all time. Prior to that, he helmed the critically acclaimed Spoiler Alert, based on the memoir by Michael Ausiello, along with Netflix’s The Lovebirds, the Oscar-nominated The Big Sick and the SXSW prize-winner Hello, My Name Is Doris.
On the heels of the Amazon MGM Christmas comedy Oh. What. Fun., Showalter has most recently reunited with the studio to tackle Verity, an adaptation of the thriller novel by Colleen Hoover, which releases in theaters on October 2nd. Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett star in that one.
Showalter is repped by UTA, Artists First and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Klein by 3 Arts, UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
