Summary
Jennifer Lawrencehas a new project in the works withThe Wives, and the murder mystery sounds very promising after another major hit. Lawrence has spent the last several years re-establishing herself as a star away from franchises likeThe Hunger GamesorX-Men. Her continued bankability and talent means she remains one of Hollywood’s most sought-after performers, allowingJennifer Lawrence’s upcoming moviesto include new projects of different genres. She has dramas, horror-thrillers, and more in the works, and the announcement ofThe Wivesbrings a murder mystery movie to her filmography.
Murder mystery movieshave long had a place in Hollywood, but interest in them ballooned in recent years thanks to a variety of hits. Kenneth Branagh made a trilogy of murder mysteries adapting Agatha Christie’s books, with him starring as Hercule Poirot. Rian Johnson also delivered a modern classic in the genre with the release ofKnives Out, which launched a new trilogy following Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. There have been several other movies and shows that have chased these successes, and nowThe Wives' chances of being a hit look good based on its apparent tone.
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The Wives Can Be Jennifer Lawrence’s Version Of A Knives Out Murder Mystery
The Movie Should Be Very Comedic
The announcement of Jennifer Lawrence’s murder mystery movie fromTHRdid not come with any indication thatThe Wivesis attempting to replicateKnives Outspecifically, but the R-rated comedy approach does appear to be what the movie wants to be. The project was picked up by Apple and A24 after Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley developed the script. Breslin and Foley have never written a feature-length movie, but their previous credits are all comedy-leaning, with praise coming for blending genres, hilarious comedy, and strong social commentary.
Since Lawrence is fresh off starring in theR-rated raunchy comedyNo Hard Feelings, pairing her with Breslin and Foley for a murder mystery invites comparisons toKnives OutoverMurder on the Orient Expressor other genre entries. Lionsgate sawKnives Outbecome a major success in 2019 as it received rave reviews and made $312 million worldwide. WhetherThe Wiveswill achieve those heights remains to be seen, but Breslin and Foley’s past work implies thatLawrence’s murder mystery will be another R-rated comedy in the vein ofKnives Out.
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Rian Johnson’s smash-hit murder mystery film Knives Out is a fun, comforting, hilarious watch, and there are plenty of enjoyable movies like it.
The Wives' Inspiration Could Make Jennifer Lawrence’s Murder Mystery Comedy Gold
It’s Inspired By A Reality TV Show
WhereasKnives Outlooked at subverting audience expectations with murder mysteries to deliver more twists and jokes,The Wivescould take a more traditional comedic approach based on its inspiration. The film is at leastpartially inspired by theReal Housewivesreality TV seriesaccording to reports. A murder mystery version of the expansive reality TV programming following wealthy women in various areas creates plenty of promise for the film’s comedic potential.
Breslin and Foley’s theater production This American Wife is also a parody of The Real Housewives
It is unclear if Lawrence will play the detective in the murder mystery or one of the housewives who are murder suspects. There is little doubt that she can pull off either role with the necessary comedic timing.It would certainly be fun to see Lawrence get her own version of Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blancand hilariously investigate the murder at hand. But, it would be equally exciting to see her become a parody of the more famousHousewivesstars. In either case,The Wives' potential as aKnives Out-style R-rated murder mystery comedy centered around Lawrence is immense.
