In one of the very first deals made during the COVID-19 outbreak, Disney+ has hired unREAL actress Shiri Appleby to direct one of its pending projects Wouldn’t It Be Nice, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Andrew Gunn will be producing the film, which is based on a script compiled by Emma Fletcher. Aside from acting in the show unREAL, Appleby also directed several episodes of unREAL as well as other programs, but this will be her feature film debut. Sources confirmed that Appleby made her presentation to the Disney board of executives through Zoom and, if successful, could make her the first director to be hired a studio in such a manner. The project has not received an official green light by the studio and is still currently in development.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice centers upon two high school friends, a football hotshot gaining momentum and a rather intelligent girl who lacks a social life. This unlikely duo eventually find each other a mere 20 years later, only to discover that they are married and living a life neither would have envisioned. The film has lingered in development hell with Disney since 2009, with previous drafts compiled by writers like Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah being shelved by the company.