Hailee Steinfeld isn't just one of Hollywood's best young actresses, she's also a gifted singer whose songs have struck a chord with teenage listeners, many of whom were already familiar with her voice from the Pitch Perfect sequels. So it makes sense that she's attached to star in and produce the music-themed movie Idol, which will also be produced by hitmaker Matt Reeves.
According to Deadline, Netflix is nearing a deal for Idol, having beat out Universal and Paramount for the hot package. The trade stresses that there's no deal yet, but one appears to be imminent. Netflix has found great success this year with its romantic comedies catering to young women, like The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I Loved Before, and the streaming service is eager to retain those female viewers. Music-themed films are all the rage lately thanks to A Star Is Born, with Vox Lux, Teen Spirit and Wild Rose all selling out of Toronto. I'm not surprised that Netflix wants to get in on the trend.
Matt King wrote Idol, which is described as a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and All About Eve. Steinfeld will play a girl who becomes an assistant for a major pop star, only to use what she learns to try to become her. The role of the pop star has yet to be cast, and it's unclear when this would start production, as it needs a director first, and Reeves has his hands full with The Batman.
Reeves would produce via his 6th & Idaho banner along with his partners Adam Kassan and Rafi Crohn, Steinfeld and her mother Cheri Steinfeld, and Monte Lipman and Dana Sano of Federal Films. The project is far enough along that Federal, which is the film division of Republic Records, already has a deal to release the original soundtrack for Idol. Given Steinfeld's alter ego as a singer, it's little surprise that she's expected to be heavily involved in the music for the film.
In addition to starring in the hit Pitch Perfect sequels, Steinfeld earned an Oscar nomination for her supporting performance in True Grit and has won acclaim for her lead role in The Edge of Seventeen. She next stars in Paramount's Transformers spinoff Bumblebee and lends her voice to the role of Gwen Stacy in Sony's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. On the music side, Steinfeld's hit singles include "Love Myself" and "Starving," the latter of which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. She's represented by CAA, which also reps Reeves along with 3 Arts. King is repped by Verve.
