Jennifer Aniston has founded her own production company with partner Kristin Hahn, who worked with her in Plan B Entertainment, the production company Aniston formed with her ex, Brad Pitt. Aniston’s new production company is called “Echo Films,” and they already have several projects in place with Universal films to adapt books for the big screen. Hahn and Aniston explain:
“We particularly like working from books and real-life stories about distinct characters that embody something relatable and relevant about human nature’s double-sided coin of vulnerability and mettle,” Hahn said.
That theme prompted the company’s name, Aniston said.
“We’re drawn to stories about people finding their voice and finding their way because they help us as listeners and viewers do what we feel we’re all trying to do, which is making sense of our lives through the stories of others,” Aniston said. “That’s why we chose the name Echo, to echo back an idea, a challenge, something that resonates through all of us.”
[From Variety]
The Variety article states that most of the films “will be developed as star vehicles for Aniston,” and isn’t that why actors and actresses start production companies? It’s a smart move for her and one that will keep her employed in the industry for years to come. They have at least six projects currently in the works, only one of which Variety notes isn’t going to include her as an actress.
They’re producing two films about marriage problems: “Getting Rid of Matthew,” based on a British bestselling novel about a publicist who tries to befriend the wife of the man she’s having an affair with in order to get rid of him, and “The Divorce Party,” based on an upcoming book about a husband and wife who hold a party on their 35th wedding anniversary to announce their divorce.
Other films in the works from Echo include “Counter-Clockwise,” based on an aging study at Harvard, and “Love: Todd,” about a tennis instructor and his precocious student. Aniston will not appear in “Love: Todd.”
There’s also “Chemistry,” a dramedy about the brain chemistry similarities between obsessive compulsive disorder and romantic love, and “The Goree Girls,” about a all-female band formed from Texas inmates. Aniston will star in that one, according to Variety.
Aniston is shown on set on 3/17/08, thanks to Splash News.
ugh, why wont she just quit and move on to something else. her acting makes my eyes bleed, just like jennifer lopez’s. she is so into herself its not even funny.
These vanity production companies rarely last. Every star has one at some point but few have succeeded. If her first couple of outings tank, it’s onto Lifetime movies where she should have been in the first place.
I have to say (and I know I’ll get flack for this), I think JA is a very mediocre actress — but I can’t decide if that’s because she really isn’t a good actress, or if she’s just been so pigeonholed. As cute and sweet and “sellable” as she is, Hollywood producers sure aren’t knocking down her door to play characters that are deep, interesting, dark, or colourful. Her fan base is so married to who she is as a person that the roles she’s offered (or takes on) are all very similar. She always has the same hair, she always wears the same style of clothing, she always uses the same hand gestures and tone of voice. Even in The Good Girl, which people thought was a stretch, she was supposed to be a small-town, big-box store employee, and she (or her director and wardrobe people) couldn’t even get rid of the $700 highlights in her hair to make the character more “average” and believable. It’s weird — but I guess not surprising, because there are a lot of actresses out there in the same boat.
So it’s VERY smart of her to start this production company. And if she’s REALLY smart, she’ll try something totally new and different that will make Hollywood take more notice. Because otherwise, I just don’t see her lasting too much longer.
@ Granger
I agree that she could use a change. Change the hair or her style just a little.On the other hand she has been looking pretty lately and those bikini shots of her on the internet are really nice. She looks very healthy,not too thin.
I agree with most of the sentiments above, she’s not that great fo an actress. But, I do find her more believable than, say, Renee Zellweger or Nicole Kidman (most of you have heard this already, but I just see them acting when I watch their movies. Now I just don’t watch their movies). I do think the “Chemistry” premise is very interesting. I see obsessive-compulsiveness in a lot of human behavior, personally.
I do have to add, after reading rose’s comment, I do think she’s attractive. She has somewhat unusual bone structure (ergo ‘Chinnifer’), but people are really mean to her, I think. I’m NOT turning this into a debate – I do like Angelina, but I have never thought anything bad of Jennifer Aniston (other than her acting skills being slightly sub-par. But at least she’s not trying to portray Virginia Woolf or anything like that.)
I couldn’t agree more, Granger re: THE GOOD GIRL. I always thought that people thought she was good in that film just because she wore her hair in a ponytail.
100%, Granger. I loved her in the ensemble fest that was Friends but I haven’t seen anything since that’s made me think about her as an actress of any real depth. Phoebe (for the life of me, I can’t rememember her real name) is the only one that actually has the ability to be someone else and has the career (independent, mainly) to show for it. JA’s just not that versatile. No biggie (although I know in advance, there are 1,000s of Manistons waiting to pounce), and I hope she gets into producing or directing or something because I can’t see any big future for her as an actress.
she´s a good looking woman and i bet she got some actingskills, but she´s like… always the same. she´s still rachel and that´s not a good thing if you want to carry movies of different types. she needs a role which challenges her, which forces her to change into someone completly different. i am not saying horror flicks, that´s always a nogo. but something more “deep” than romances or commedies.
ugh! geronimo what about Courtney Cox? She’s fantastic on Dirt (really gritty show on Fx) and she definitely isn’t Monica from friends on that.
it´s lisa kudrow 😉
I forgot! And I’ve been watching it. And Monica has always been my favourite ‘Friend’! (anal stuff, don’t ask. Brie on Desperate Housewives is my other favourite).
Correction: Phoebe AND Courtney Cox!
THANK you, anni. That’s saved me a sleepless night. 🙂 (I did say I am anal)
That’s okay, I’m not exactly laid back all the time either. Isn’t Dirt so good?? It’s hard to follow sometimes, but it’s like gossip from real life times 10! They can take stories to all new crazy highs.
Geronimo, are you sure that you and I aren’t, like, a split personality that likes to agree with each other? lmao
I like the obsessive characters, also.
mollination – it’s frighteningly real.
cc – they’re so interesting!
Ditto Granger & Iheart.
Good luck to her. Hopefully having her own company will allow her to explore some different roles
Again – iheartlasagne totally “echoes” my sentiments – even to the point of Nicole Kidman, who is good, but it’s like there’s always a little voice in her head when she’s working that says “acting acting, now turn, blink, acting acting..” But it has to be said – Nicole’s style of acting completely suited “Dogville” – because it was such a mannerist piece she complimented it well.
JA is attractive because she’s pretty but not an “icy beauty” and does have a likeable quality that makes her attractive.
BUT, considering her “supporters” and the media’s constant portrayal of a poor spurned lover, the name Echo couldn’t be more ironic (the legend of Echo was that she was in love with Narcissus, bewitched Narcissus to fall in love with the first person he saw, which was his reflection in a pool of water. Echo eventually pined away to a state that only her voice remained, but even then someone else had to speak. (It’s been years since I did classical history so if someone has their Ovid, Lamb or wikipedia handy, I’ll happily be corrected 😉
So the conspiracy theorists version is that JA conspired to get BP, in the end she wound up working against herself, he got distracted by a prettier reflection and was only remembered in the shadow of that relationship.
Aniston would have been a blip on the Friends radar coat tails if she had never dated/married Brad Pitt.
If you recall…during the time before she was with him, you really never saw her in magazines. When she hooked up with him, she started ‘gracing’ the cover of every fashion mag out there.
I said it even then, that it was only because of Brad that she got so famous. If Lisa Kudrow had been the one to date/marry Brad Pitt, then you would have seen her on the cover of every magazine (and she’s waaaaaaaaaay prettier than Aniston too!).
Now that Aniston is no longer with Brad, you see her about as much as you do Lisa Kudrow. And the ONLY reason people are still interested in her is because of the Pitt/Jolie connection because she has nothing to offer in the way of talent or looks. I don’t think she is in the least bit attractive. I do like her hair though.
your all idiots and she will be lafing all the way to the bank it dosent matter if her movies are hits she still gets mills fore meaking them but i like her she is classig and stilis and a sweet person and she will do just well i all she is doing and to all them there just cant stop comperring her whit that whore aj there is no match jen is way better in all ways and you need to stop this crap i dont like aj but it is time to stop now
I really hope that last post was a joke with all the spelling and grammar errors.
hehehe summertime, I just love the way that post above starts with ‘YOUR all idiots’. Oh the irony, hahehehehaha.
I think Jennifer has always been desperate to prove herself as an actor and its probably been to the detriment of her personal life.
that is so nice , i am happy for her and the good thing is that she is staring in them i can’t wait for them.
Good for her! Always liked Jen. I wish her the best of luck.
I only recently stumbled upon this site, and i must say that i’m absolutely amazed about how witty and intelligent some comments are (well, at least compared to some other gossip sites ;-)).
I completely agree with Granger and Mairead, your little anecdote about “life imitating greek tragedy” made my day.
Cheers
More shitty ROM COMS coming up!
I couldn’t agree more, Granger re: THE GOOD GIRL. I always thought that people thought she was good in that film just because she wore her hair in a ponytail.
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