How Reese Witherspoon is shifting film and television
-
Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Actress Reese Witherspoon鈥檚 production company Pacific Standard continues to develop female-centered projects, with past successes including the films 鈥淕one Girl鈥� and 鈥淲ild.鈥澛�
Ms. Witherspoon launched the company in 2012 with producer Bruna Papandrea, and the company continues to bring female-led films and TV shows to viewers in a Hollywood where women made up in the 110 highest-grossing films of 2015.听
The actress recalled a meeting with executives in 2012 where she asked, 鈥淲hat are you developing for women?鈥澛�
鈥淚 think it was literally one studio that had a project for a female lead over 30,鈥� . 鈥淎nd I thought to myself, 鈥業鈥檝e got to get busy.鈥� 鈥�
Since then, Pacific Standard produced the 2014 box office and critical hit 鈥淕one Girl鈥� as well as the 2014 film 鈥淲ild,鈥� which starred Witherspoon herself. 鈥淕one鈥� and 鈥淲ild鈥� both received Oscar best actress nominations for actress Rosamund Pike and Witherspoon, respectively, as well as a best supporting actress nomination for 鈥淲ild鈥� actress Laura Dern.
The company also backed the 2015 comedy "Hot Pursuit," starring Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara, a critical and box office misfire.
Pacific Standard is now helping bring 鈥淏ig Little Lies鈥� to HBO, based on the Liane Moriarty bestseller about聽three women whose children attend the same school and who learn more about each others鈥� lives as they become friends. It stars Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, and Adam Scott.听
Witherspoon's "work behind the scenes as a producer through her Pacific Standard banner 鈥� has made her a true industry force,鈥� wrote聽.听
Washington Post writer 聽the work of both Witherspoon鈥檚 Pacific Standard and producer Megan Ellison, whose Annapurna Pictures has been behind such awards season favorites as 鈥淎merican Hustle,鈥� 鈥淗er,鈥� and 鈥淶ero Dark Thirty.鈥�
鈥淭hat Ellison and Witherspoon鈥檚 companies have produced so many important movies so quickly says a great deal about the opportunities the rest of Hollywood is missing,鈥� Ms. Rosenberg wrote in 2014. 鈥淎nd it is a sobering reminder of how little 鈥� and how much 鈥� it takes to make a quick and visible difference in pop culture.鈥�
