Jennifer Lawrence: From Mockingjay to ‘Red Sparrow?’

According to Deadline, megastar Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) is eyeing the lead role of Russian Dominika Egorova in Francis Lawrence’s Red Sparrow.

The two Lawrences have previously teamed on three films in the Hunger Games franchise and will be working on The Dive, currently in development. The project would also reunite the female Lawrence with screenwriter Eric Warren Singer, who co-penned American Hustle with David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), and who is adapting Red Sparrow from CIA veteran Jason Matthews’ bestselling novel of the same name.

Rooney Mara (Carol) had previously been in talks to play Egorova. David Fincher (Gone Girl) was in line to direct the feature last year, and before that, Darren Aronofsky (Noah) was attached as director. Fox acquired the rights to the novel two years ago in a bidding war. Producers are Peter Chernin of Chernin Entertainment with Jenno Topping, and Film Rites’ Steven Zaillian and Garrett Basch.

The story centers on a Russian intelligence officer (Egorova) who is ordered against her will to become a “sparrow” (trained seductress). Her target is a young CIA agent, Nathaniel Nash, who handles Russian moles. The two intelligence officers enter into a sexually charged and dangerous romance that threatens not only their own safety, but the lives of others as well. Egorova’s ill treatment by her Russian masters turns her against them as she chooses the life of a double agent ferreting out traitors for the CIA and returning to Moscow to penetrate Russian intelligence from within.

The Academy Award-winning Lawrence (for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook; she also received Oscar nominations for lead actress in Winter’s Bone and supporting actress in American Hustle) will be seen next in Hunger Games: Mockingay Part 2 which bows on November 18th, followed by David O. Russell’s Joy, to be released on Christmas Day. She is also going to re-team with Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past) in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, and will soon begin production on Sony’s Passengers, the Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) helmed sci-fi romance with fellow box office draw Chris Pratt (Jurassic World).