Award-winning actor Toni Collette will make her directorial debut with a screen-adaptation of Lily King’s Writers & Lovers. The project will be produced by Susannah Grant, Sarah Timberman and Collette for her Vocab Films. Topic Films’ Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman and Ryan Heller will executive produce the project. Colette is also co-writing the screenplay with The Crown writer Nick Payne. 

King’s Writers & Lovers was released just last year by Grove Press and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. The story centers around Casey Peabody, an ex-golf prodigy and aspiring writer living in 1990’s Boston. Soon after her mother’s death turns her world on its head, Casey finds herself caught in a complicated and confusing love affair. In order to move forward, she must take a hard look at her past and present, and find a balance between life and art.

In regard to bringing King’s novel to life, Colette had to say, “I have been wanting to direct for quite some time but have been a bit busy with my day job…l couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing Lily King’s beautiful, funny, moving novel to filmic life. It’s an empowering story that speaks to me as a woman and an artist.”

Collette and Topic Studios have recently collaborated on the film Dream House which will be distributed by Bleecker Street this year. Writers and Lovers’ executive producer Maria Zuckerman shares her excitement for their reunion, “We are honored to support Toni’s directorial debut and, with Susannah and Sarah, this is a dream team of partners with whom to bring this beautiful film to life.”

Toni Collette is known for her critically applauded work in films such as Muriel’s Wedding (1996) and cult classic Little Miss Sunshine (2007), both of which she received Golden Globe nominations for. She was nominated for a Globe and Emmy for the Netflix series Unbelievable (2020) and won both awards for her role in United States of Tara (2009-2011). She was also nominated for an Oscar in 2000 for Best Supporting Actress in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense. Her recent acting credits include: Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020), Knives Out (2019) and Hereditary (2018).