Los Angeles, CA – April 20, 2023 – Village Roadshow Pictures (VRP) is developing a contemporary remake of the iconic 1985 hit, GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN, with Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman set to produce through their company Brownstone Productions. Alison Small will executive produce for Brownstone Productions and Jillian Apfelbaum, Tristen Tuckfield, and Nic Gordon will oversee for VRP.
Marja-Lewis Ryan (The L Word: Generation Q, 6 Balloons) and Allie Romano (The L Word: Generation Q, The Upshaws) will co-write the script. Ryan and Romano have worked together previously. Ryan EP’d, Directed, and served as Showrunner on The L Word: Generation Q at Showtime, while Romano served as an Executive Story Editor. Prior to that, Ryan wrote and directed 6 BALLONS at Netflix starring Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco; which Romano Associate Produced.
GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN is a joyful rom-com and a surprisingly modern celebration of female friendship, jam-packed with humor, heart, 80s pop-bangers, and thrilling dance numbers.
The original GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN (1985) is part of the vast library controlled by Village Roadshow’s parent Vine Alternative Investments, which often provides rich source material and iconic IP for modern adaptations. The original film starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt and was directed by Alan Metter.
Marja-Lewis Ryan is slated to direct YOU, AGAIN by Alison Wong (That 90s Show, The L Word: Generation Q), an upcoming romantic comedy for Searchlight/Hulu she’s producing alongside Chris Bender and his company Good Fear. Ryan is represented by UTA, Kaplan/Perrone, and attorney Tara Kole. Romano is represented by Kaplan/Perrone and attorneys Ryan Nord and Jesse Nord.
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group is a leading global entertainment company building premier, content-rich businesses in the entertainment industry. VREG employs innovative strategies to produce, acquire and deliver intellectual properties with timeless appeal, while maximizing group-wide strategic and operational efficiencies. VREG is the holding company of Village Roadshow Pictures and Village Roadshow Television, whose most recent projects include “Capital One College Bowl” for NBC. Under its leadership by Vine Alternative Investments, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group diversified its portfolio to include financing and producing projects across multiple formats including film, television and digital.
With an exclusive television deal at Warner Bros. Television and first-look film deal at Universal, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman’s Brownstone Productions’ slate currently includes multiple film, television and digital collaborations across various networks and studios, including Universal, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, FOX, HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu and Peacock. Following the previous slate which included the global sensation COCAINE BEAR starring Keri Russell and Ray Liotta, PITCH PERFECT franchise, and CHARLIE’S ANGELS starring Kristen Stewart, the current film slate includes Emma Seligman’s BOTTOMS at MGM’s Orion Pictures, THE PAPERAG PRINCESS at Universal Pictures, and FOREIGN RELATIONS starring Glenn Powell and Nick Jonas at Amazon Studios, and Alex Prager’s DREAMQUIL. On the television side, Brownstone produced the critically-acclaimed series SHRILL at Hulu and PITCH PERFECT: BUMPER IN BERLIN, which was Peacock’s biggest-ever comedy launch. Upcoming television projects include RED QUEEN at Peacock and the adult comedy animated series BEDROCK at FOX, with Banks voicing the role of ‘Pebbles.’