Following on the heels of her Indie Spirit Award-winning Booksmart, it should come as no surprise Olivia Wilde is one of the hottest filmmakers around. And she’s been quick to capitalize with a number of upcoming projects, including one on Olympic champion gymnast Kerri Strug.
Wilde will direct Perfect, a film about Olympian gymnast Kerri Strug, who became famous when she battled through injury to land her final vault and secure Team USA’s first gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The image of her landing on her one good ankle, then being carried to the medal podium are some of the most iconic in the competition’s history, and made Strug an American hero.
The script will be penned by Ronnie Sandahl, who wrote the excellent tennis biopic Borg/McEnroe, and is based on Strug’s book, Landing On My Feet, A Diary Of Dreams. Buyers are already starting to line up to purchase the rights, with Searchlight Pictures leading the way. Others in pursuit include Warner Bros., A24, and at least one streaming service, so expect a big deal to be announced soon, and that’s without even knowing who will play the role of Strug. Usually, these packages come with a big star attached, and I wouldn’t be surprise if someone is named very soon. [Deadline]
