A24 has acquired worldwide rights to Greta Gerwig‘s Lady Bird and is planning a fall release, according to Deadline. Known for her particular brand of intellectual mumblecore acting, this film will mark Gerwig’s solo directorial debut after co-directing Nights and Weekends with Joe Swanberg and co-writing Frances Ha and Mistress America with Noah Baumbach. Gerwig also serves as writer on the project.
Lady Bird stars Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan as Christine (aka Lady Bird), a rebellious teen yearning to break free of her strict Sacramento Catholic high school in pursuit of New York City. The story is loosely based on Gerwig’s own upbringing in Sacramento, California. Co-starring in the film is a hefty supporting lineup, including Laurie Metcalf, Oscar-nominee Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, and Jake McDorman.
Gerwig’s last major award season push was for her outstanding work in Frances Ha, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. It is not surprising that A24 is putting utmost faith in the project, as they are quite known to do that with little films that could. Their last “leap” was just last year with the Best Picture winner Moonlight. The year before, their Oscar contender Room took home a Best Actress accolade for Brie Larson.