Oscar-winning Juno scribe Diablo Cody is about to add “director” to her resume. The writer-producer has signed a deal to helm her first picture, Lamb of God, which she also wrote.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the comedy is about a young Christian conservative woman who loses her faith after surviving a plane crash. She then heads to Vegas to live the life of sin and “on her journey finds her way back to her faith.” Well that sounds fun.
Cody posted about her new project on her Tumblr last night. She joked that the films about losing faith in everything was “comedy gold” and then said “Seriously though, it’s not the cynicism-fest implied by the log line.” She also wrote:
It’s weird to have a brand new job after three films and three seasons of television. I wrote “Juno” in 2005. I’ve been a writer ever since; sometimes a writer-producer, but a writer all the same. And now I’m…something else. If I hear a certain type of music for a scene, I don’t have to shyly suggest it. I can use it. If I picture an actor in a role, I can offer them said role. Craaaazy. (Ben Fong-Torres voice.) I’m accustomed to riding shotgun. Look, I’ve worked with incredibly generous directors (love you Jason and Karyn, and Craig and Craig and pretty much everyone), but for the first time, I get to be the Captain and Tennille. Holy sh–.Besides Juno, Cody wrote the Megan Fox/Amanda Seyfried horror romp Jennifer’s Body and created the just-canceled United States of Tara. The latter won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series last year. She also wrote the upcoming Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron and Elizabeth Reaser. The latter plays a woman in an all-moms’ band called Nipple Confusion. I am totally seeing that movie for the band name alone.
Lamb of God is apparently being fast tracked and should begin casting soon. Besides having an intriguing storyline (Christianity! Plane crashes! Vegas, baby!), the movie sounds like another promising example of female-created, female-fronted entertainment. Cody’s work has created great platforms for great actresses (Ellen Page, Toni Collette, Seyfried, Fox if the “great” applied to her body…) to show their stuff.
Cody’s foray into the director’s chair will hopefully be the start of a fruitful career behind the camera as well. In an industry where high-profile female film directors are few and far between, it’s always welcome to see another woman march into the boys club.
