This sounds like a match made in artistic heaven. In one corner, you haveZendaya, one of the best actresses of her generation working today, and on the other, you have director Barry Jenkins, fresh off ofMufasa: The Lion Kingand looking to make a film that gets him back to his creative roots. The pair is joining forces on a new project for A24 that is based on the life of a legendary singer that could end up being a career-defining role for the young star.
Per Deadline, Zendaya and Jenkins are teaming up on a film about legendary singer Ronnie Spector. The project will be scripted by Dave Kajganich, who has a working connection to director Luca Guadagnino on films such as hisSuspiriaremake andBones and All. That connection is even more complete with Zendaya, who did superb work on last year’s Guadagnino-directedChallengers. Jenkins and Zendaya have reportedly been searching for a project to work on together for some time now, and the pair have landed on a take on Spector’s life that will also tap into her Phil Spector, a man known for his musical talent and very troubled lifestyle. The rights to Spector’s life are already set for the project, and it will also use her memoir,Be My Baby, as another source of inspiration. Spector wrote the memoir with Vince Waldron.
Zendaya Was Hand-Selected by Ronnie Spector To Portray Her
Ronnie Spector hand-picked Zendaya to play her before her passing, making the film even more personal for the actress as she continues to craft a movie career that is becoming known for working with top talent. A24 landed the spec for the film back in 2022, so they have been involved for a while, just waiting for the right creatives to come together to tell Spector’s story. A24 will produce the project alongside Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Mark Itkin, Tom Shelly, and Zendaya.
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The film will be an A24 reunion for both Zendaya and Jenkins. The indie studio is behind her critically acclaimed Emmy-winning seriesEuphoria, as well as herupcoming project with Robert Pattinson,The Drama. Jenkins blew up in a big way because of A24 when they helped carry his filmMoonlightto Best Picture glory at the Academy Awards. The director also serves as an executive producer on the Sundance film,Sorry, Baby, which also has A24’s involvement.
For Jenkins, despiteMufasa: The Lion Kingclearing $700 millionat the worldwide box office, a project like this feels more in line with the work he has done in the past and could be a return to form for the director. It’s not like he has a lot to prove, but a project like this seems like it will flex his creative muscles more, much like films such asMoonlight did(which earned him a Best Director Oscar nomination and a win for Best Adapted Screenplay).
For those unfamiliar, Ronnie Spector co-founded and led the girl group The Ronettes with her older sister and their cousin in the late 1950s. The group, which was signed to Phil Spector’s label, had signature hits in the 1960s that include “Be My Baby,” “Baby, I Love You,” and “Walking in the Rain,” to name a few. After a bit of a career lull, Spector found success again in 1986 when she was featured on Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight,” a Billboard top-five hit. Spector was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via The Ronettes, in 2007.
