Jennifer Lawrence Just Signed Up to Play This Iconic Historical Figure
J-Law may be garnering Oscar buzz with the upcoming flick Passengers, but she’s already got her eye on her next great role, sure to make just as big a splash (if not bigger!).
Teaming up with iconic director Ron Howard, Jennifer will be taking on none other than the late Zelda Fitzgerald in the upcoming biopic, Zelda.
Based on the life of the wife of author F. Scott. Fitzgerald (you might have read his super famous work, The Great Gatsby), whom F. Scott has described as “the first American flapper,” the film will see her struggling to shine alongside her own famous husband with regard to her artistic endeavors, before descending into madness due to a tragic diagnosis of schizophrenia.
While Jennifer certainly has the acting chops to take on Zelda’s mental illness (hello, Silver Linings Playbook!) and will no doubt be easily transformed into a roaring ‘20s babe, it will be interesting to see how Ron portrays Zelda’s character with Jennifer as his vessel — after all, Gatsby’s Daisy Buchanan was reportedly based on Zelda, and we’ve gotta’ say: We don’t see Jen as the waifish, damsel-in-distress type that Daisy so aptly embodies.
Was the real Zelda stronger than F. Scott would have us believe in his iconic novel? Some accounts see her described much differently, a strong-willed woman fighting for the rights of her gender while also standing up for the integrity of her work (Scott was actually said to have lifted some of his material from the pages of her diaries). Will Ron paint her as the dynamo others claim she was? Or will Jennifer blow us all away by diving into unknown, fragile and helpless territory?
Guess we’ll just have to wait and find out!
Do you think Jennifer is the perfect casting choice for Zelda? Share @BritandCo.
(h/t Refinery 29, photos via Keystone/Hulton Archive, Pascal le Segretain + Theo Wargo/Getty)
