Jennifer Lawrence cast as Zelda Fitzgerald in a new prestige bio-pic: ugh?

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Like so many teenage girls, I was obsessed with Zelda Fitzgerald. I had a cat named Zelda and I read several Zelda-intensive biographies. What is the fascination with her? Is it the fact that she seemed so ahead of her time, yet fragile and somehow too delicate for this world? Was it the fact that she served the muse for the works of one of the great American writers? Was it her madness, her art, her passion? I don’t know. I suspect that people were always obsessed with her and that’s just been compounded in the decades following her death, as her story became more and more mythologized.

While Zelda has been portrayed in films before, I don’t think there’s ever been a prestige bio-pic devoted to her life story. That’s about to change. Over the summer, Christina Ricci filmed Z: The Beginning of Everything, in what seems like a lower-budget bio-pic. But now Ron Howard wants to make a bio-pic about Zelda using Nancy Milford’s popular biography, Zelda, as the source material. And who will be cast in this prestige pic? Well, who’s at the top of every casting director and producer’s list? Yes. Jennifer Lawrence.

Jennifer Lawrence is gearing up to play Jazz Age icon Zelda Fitzgerald. The drama, which is currently titled Zelda, is being developed by Ron Howard (Inferno), who is eyeing it as a potential directing vehicle. The project reteams Lawrence with Allison Shearmur, who, as a former Lionsgate executive, worked with the actress when she made her megastar turn as the lead in The Hunger Games.

Based on a screenplay by Emma Frost (The White Queen), the story centers on Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his indispensable muse and fiercest competitor. Desperate to define herself through her own art, the film explores the question: Can love exist between creative equals? Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Zelda Fitzgerald was dubbed by her husband as “the first American Flapper,” but her life descended into madness (she was diagnosed with schizophrenia). The filmmakers optioned Nancy Milford’s best-selling biography Zelda, which served as the inspiration for the screenplay.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

I find this sort of depressing. It’s not that I think J-Law is a completely inappropriate casting choice – she’s not. At all. Even if she didn’t have this locked up, I probably would have put her on the shortlist too. But I am tired of J-Law being everyone’s first choice for everything. Alison Pill memorably played Zelda in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, opposite Tom Hiddleston’s F. Scott Fitzgerald, and if there was ever perfect casting, that was sort of it because both Pill and Hiddleston were fantastic in those roles. I could also see Emma Stone being a great Zelda, same with Evan Rachel Wood. It just bugs me that it feels like no one else was even considered.

Here are some vintage photos of Zelda and F. Scott.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Getty.

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101 Responses to “Jennifer Lawrence cast as Zelda Fitzgerald in a new prestige bio-pic: ugh?”

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  1. Barrett says:

    Still tired of her….sorry. New talent pool please…

    • Malibu Stacy says:

      Seriously! I’m so sour about this. I also really admire Zelda and have read anything about her or by her. I can’t with Dorito farts, I will be skipping this film. It’ll be Oscar baity and exhausting.

    • Capella says:

      I agree … and sorry as well. Jennifer Lawrence is a good actress but I don’t think this character should be played in an obvious way. I am not interested in Zelda’s story because of the glaring dysfunction, but for her internal core and seeming undefeatable drive for self actualization. The script and Director will have a lot to do with the portrayal as well.
      Other actresses that come to mind are:
      Saoirse Ronan, Rooney Mara, Anna Kendrick, Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and I know she isn’t popular here but, … Keira Knightley (ducking).
      AT any rate, I hope they have serious auditions for the role including from Jennifer Lawrence. (unless it is a don’t deal … which is then a disappointment)

      • Shelley says:

        My first thought was also Amy Adams. As far as Jennifer Lawrence: There seems to be many actors who begin their careers by playing amazing roles and lighting up the screen with their talent. Then, after a few films, nothing. It’s simply too exhausting for them to actually perform and, since they are making millions anyway, why knock yourself out? I get that from Jennifer Lawrence. Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie are two others.

    • Margo S. says:

      I agree. I’m so done with her.

  2. HH says:

    The last movie I saw her in was X-Men: Apocalypse and she was dreadful. She was there to honor her contract, but made no secret of not wanting to be there…and it showed. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her to begin with, but that sealed the deal. Sorry you have to be part of a huge blockbuster and make millions. Must be rough. UGH.

  3. Cool Character says:

    Pass

  4. Patricia says:

    I’ll put myself out there and say I’m excited, I think she’s great for the part!
    *ducks*

    • Carrie says:

      I’m with you! I think that she could play the role well.

    • Tiny Martian says:

      I agree. I understand that people are tired of her snatching up all of the big roles, but I can totally see her playing Zelda.

      • Amy Tennant says:

        I agree. She’s smart, quirky, Southern, blonde, and has played “crazy.” I understand she might be starting to seem overexposed and wear out her welcome a little, but it seems like good casting!

        (Now that I think about it, Reese Witherspoon in younger days would have made a good Zelda too)

      • Jules says:

        Not only do I think Lawrence is a perfect choice to play Zelda, but I see some parallels between the two women…both insanely talented, Southern women with that intriguing combination of strength and charisma (both a force to be reckoned with) yet, there’s a vulnerability to them both.

        Lawrence will knock this role out of the park.

    • Nicole says:

      I’m excited too and she said on the catching fire press tour in 2013 that Zelda was one person she would love to play in a biopic. So my guess is she also campaigned hard for the movie. She will nail this one for sure

    • MC2 says:

      Me too- I think she is perfect for it. I am sure they thought of others (Brie Larson) but JLaw is a great fit and it seems meant to be so why not?

      JLaw is a great actress among many. It’s not their fault that there are not more good roles for women so the roles are limited and they shouldn’t be faulted for having to take sucky roles too- it’s what is out there right now.

    • Dee Kay says:

      I agree. But she needs the right F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think that will be be a hard part to cast, you can’t have someone too cold/remote or someone too “normal”/ordinary or someone weaker than the actress playing Zelda. That actor will have to be able to go toe-to-toe with JLaw in every way. Not sure who would be a good fit for this. I did love Hiddleston’s and Pill’s Scott and Zelda but that film wasn’t a biopic (Midnight in Paris showcased a highly idealized, romantic Scott and Zelda — which is a great fantasy but it wasn’t their reality).

  5. SunnyD says:

    I’m over her, I love Zelda Fitzgeralds story, but I’d rather abstain than see yet another “j-law as….” movie. I need time off from her.

  6. rosalee says:

    over exposed and really not interesting as an actress..don’t shoot me but another actress with Jolie’s talent or Jolie but I think she’s a tad too old… and perhaps her beauty is too distracting I can’t believe I wrote that.. Alison Pill was great as Zelda in the only Woody Allen movie I will admit I watched and only did so because Paris is my favorite city. Four times in the past 6 years..so I was only interested in the landmarks but Zelda..on screen well – the pool is pretty shallow I’m going to hide before the rocks start flying..

    • Amy Tennant says:

      It’s my Woody Allen movie, too, and I hate that I like it so much, because I hate Woody. I’ve always been fascinated with the “Lost Generation.”

      Best part was Adrien Brody’s Dali. I look up just that scene on Youtube sometimes. “I see… a rhinoceros.”

    • Grant says:

      Maybe I’m alone in this but I don’t think Jolie is a particularly good actress. I saw By the Sea this weekend and she was absolutely dreadful. No range and the same pained expression in every. Single. Scene.

      • Jbap says:

        It’s interesting to me how Jolie has become established as the image of a great star/actress. She has great charisma, but the current crop of 20 something female stars like Emma Stone and J-Law has far more range as actresses than Jolie ever did.

      • mia girl says:

        This is not a general comment on Angelina Jolie’s talent, charisma, etc…

        But @Grant – OMG yes. I watched the By the Sea last week and she really was so bad. I was actually kind of shocked by how bad she was. Aside from some beautiful cinematography and a decent performance by Pitt, the film itself was bad. Boring, plodding, and not a great script/story.

        When the movie was released I wondered if people were unfairly piling on her with bad reviews but, nope those were earned.

      • Joannie says:

        I dont think Jolie is a good actress or director.

      • Kitten says:

        You are definitely not alone.
        Love her, but not her acting.

      • cindy says:

        I’m glad I’m not alone too. I never want to say it out loud because I love Jolie, but she isn’t that great an actress….she’s competent, I don’t cringe when I watch her, but I think its that face that got her famous, and she has stayed famous and beloved for her humanitarian work.

      • MC2 says:

        I agree too. I thought the perfect role for Jolie was Tombraider. I never got how she got the cred she did over time but maybe I’m missing some movies out there.

        But I love what she did with her fame and her ‘real work’. She is a good celebrity.

        P.S.- I wish Jolie was around during the brat pack days. Jolie, RDJ, Keifer & Jason Patrick. Oh- think of the parties!

      • GreenTurtle says:

        Yeah, I don’t know what happened really. I thought she was amazing in Gia and Girl, Interrupted. Nothing as good since.

      • Dee Kay says:

        I am a huge Jolie fan but agree that her best acting by far was early on — in Gia and Girl, Interrupted, the roles that made her famous and won her awards. I think maybe her heart just hasn’t been in acting for a long time. She’s been trying to get better as a humanitarian and human rights’ activist than as an actress. If she had poured these years into the craft of performance, I’m sure she would be a formidable actress today, but that’s not where she’s put her energy.

  7. paolanqar says:

    Ugh.

  8. lisac says:

    No, no, no, no.
    No.
    I can’t see her as Zelda at all. No.

    I’d rather the actress be someone lesser known or even Allison Pill from Midnight in Paris. Otherwise, I just see J-Law dressing up as Zelda. And, I’ve never liked J-Law and I want her far away from Zelda.

    I adored Zelda as a teen too. I still do. My dogs’ names are Scottie and Zelda.

    • Hummos says:

      Can’t see it either! She should not get it, and you know what? I’m not even sure the film should be made! Pill and Hiddleston in midnight in Paris were perfect

      • Amy Tennant says:

        Agreed about Pill and Hiddles. They were great.

        I really liked that movie except for the director. Darn it.

    • Hannah says:

      I hope they cast Tom Hiddleston as Scott, he was amazing in “Midnight in Paris”.

  9. lightpurple says:

    I think she’ll do an adequate job of it but I know I will be comparing her to Allison Pill’s performance, which was wonderful. I think Evan Rachel Wood would have been an interesting choice. But no, not Emma Stone. Because she also seems to be at the top of every casting list.

    • Amy Tennant says:

      I think of Carey Mulligan too, because she was Daisy in Gatsby. I think Emma Stone would have been good too, because she’s sort of mesmerizing. I could see her holding people spellbound with the force of her personality, plus she’s smart. I haven’t seen her play a role with a lot of depth though.

      I think J-Law is good casting, but I did have a twinge and couldn’t put my finger on it. It’s that I’m worried people will think of it as a J-Law movie and not Zelda’s movie. She’s such a big name I’m afraid it will distract from the subject. Then again, she’s the Academy award-winning actress, so it will be her job to make herself “disappear” into the part.

      At least it’s not Amber Heard (tbh, that’s not a fair comment. I’ve never seen Amber in anything)

      • Sasha says:

        I first thought of Carey Mulligan because she can play depth and nuance very well. But Emma Stone would be an excellent choice too.

    • lannisterforever says:

      I think Evan is too beautiful to be Zelda and Carey wouldn’t want the role since she already playes Daisy Buchanan.

      I actually think this is quite interesting casting choice – JLaw is a great actress but I don’t see her being first choice for a women you’d describe as fragile.

  10. BonnieJean says:

    There is a reason she gets cast again & again. She is a natural — so much talent.

    • Timbuktu says:

      I am not being snarky: please-please-please explain to me where you see talent? She literally plays someone stone-faced (because issues) in practically every movie. The burning plain, Hunger games, Silver lining, Serena – all she does is play withdrawn characters that occasionally cry and yell. Every time I watch her movies (beyond Hunger games, where I read the book, so I had that to guide me), I don’t understand her character’s motivation, I don’t feel any connection to them, they annoy me.
      I really-really don’t understand how she’s considered talented. She seems so one-note (ok, two-note: withdrawn and angry) and unconvincing to me. I tend to like a lot of British actors, older ones especially, people like Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, even actors like Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. On the American side, I would name Tom Hanks and, although I don’t really like their brand of comedy that much, I think that Jim Carrey and Robin Williams are fantastic dramatic actors. I feel like they can convey SO MUCH with SO LITTLE. Their characters are so relatable, their sorrows break my heart, I understand everything they are going through. To me, THAT is being a natural and talented, and JLaw does not even come close.
      I hope you don’t take this as an attack, I’m truly just trying to understand what is it about JLaw’s performances that wins people over.

      • GillanK says:

        Have you seen American Hustle or Joy? Because the characters she plays there are absolutely nothing like the characters she plays in the films you list – ‘withdrawn characters that occasionally cry and yell’, as you say. Far from being one-note, she strikes me as having a remarkably wide range: she can go light (probably her most natural mode), but also bring tremendous intensity to her performances when she has to (Winter’s Bone, the HG films).

        I get why people grumble she’s overexposed – but frankly I think she is perfect casting for Zelda.

      • cindy says:

        It’s okay, I get your confusion. I love JLaw, but I don’t think she’s Meryl Streep either. She’s a good actress, for sure, but I don’t think her fame is all talent related. A lot of it is her beauty, luck maybe and her charisma, IMO. I feel the same way (genuinely baffled) about Kristen Stewart. While I believe JLaw is talented, KS is so bad I feel like it’s the Emporers’s New Clothes. I like watching the twilight movies because she is so bad it makes the movies campy/guilty pleasure. At this point I think JLaw is so successful, directors would cast her in anything, no matter what.

      • Moon says:

        I’m with you Timbuktu. Jlaw is ‘naturalistic’ but that’s just one dimension to acting. She doesn’t make choices and she’s not versatile, often she’s just playing a variation of herself and her characters have no arc because she doesn’t make choices, she just goes into the scene and ‘feels’ her way through it but that’s not enough. That’s why the meryl steep comparisons bother me because it couldn’t be further off the mark. Meryl is someone who goes in having prepared rigorously and makes specific, interesting choices. Jlaw is more of a Julia Roberts, someone who coasts on charisma and ‘naturalism’ and does the same thing over and over. A couple more prestige roles and everyone will see the holes in jlaw’s acting since she’s a one trick pony, and a one trick pony that doesn’t seem interested in artistic growth.

      • Timbuktu says:

        @GillanK
        No, I have not seen Joy or American Hustle, so I guess I have to take your word for it, but I’ve had people tell me the same thing about Silver Lining (let us not forget she also got a freaking Oscar for it), and I was more than underwhelmed when I saw it. She really failed to bring me on a journey of a mentally ill, grieving person. I could never understand why she did the things she did, I didn’t feel her fall in love, I saw absolutely no difference in her in the beginning and in the end, it was just a completely flat head scratcher to me.

        @cindy,
        you’re right, KS is in a league of her own as far as bad acting goes, JLaw is definitely not that bad, KS is painful to watch, whereas JLaw leaves me indifferent.

        @Moon,
        Yes, I think the comparison to Julia Roberts is a very apt one! I really enjoy Julia in romantic comedies, I wouldn’t call her a “bad” actress, but every time she attempted a serious role (Mona Lisa smile, Eat, Drink, Pray, Love, Erin Brockovich are the 3 that I’ve seen and that come to mind), she was just ok… Neither movie really moved me in the way that, I think, they were meant to.

      • thecookingpan says:

        Winter’s Bone – watch it and then say she’s one dimensional… Great material to work with but she knocked it out of the park!

      • JulP says:

        Longtime lurker, first time commenting on this site, and I agree with Timbuktu. Actually responding to this because I just watched Joy over the weekend and I was stunned by how awful she was in that movie. I honestly felt like I was watching a teenager in a high school play. Not only was she badly miscast, she was out-acted by everyone in the film (including the actress from OITNB). She tends to over-act, is seemingly unable to convey any emotional depth, and her acting is extremely one note and lacks nuance. I have also seen SLP, American Hustle, the first Hunger Games, and a couple of the new X-Men films and felt the same way (she is astonishingly bad in the X-Men films. As another poster said, she definitely phones in those performances). I admittedly have never seen Winter’s Bone, but none of her work since then has impressed me. I have nothing against her personally, but it pains me to see Hollywood finally greenlighting films featuring female leads, only for most of the roles to go to such a mediocre actress. There are dozens of other actresses who could actually do justice to this role (Mia W. came to mind actually), but sadly, we’ll end up with another hammy, one-note performance (for which I am certain she will at least get another Oscar nomination, if not a win). I also realize this is motivated by the fact that she’s a box office draw right now, but I really wish studios would greenlight more films featuring other actresses (and other non-white actresses, but that’s another issue).

    • Greentea says:

      I agree with JulP and Timbuktu and the other posters. JLaw has a lot of personal charisma and undoubtedly brings a lot of attention to the films she’s cast in (which is probably why everyone’s falling over themselves to cast her and have better chance of a hit), but she isn’t a good actor. Silver Linings and American Hustle were more like caricatures with tics and affectations. She was perfect for Winter’s Bone but she just had to be angry and tough all the time in that. Kirsten Dunst has about a million times JLaw’s talent and would be good as Zelda. I just watched Kirsten Dunst in Midnight Special and she made that almost nothing supporting role into something memorable. JLaw is a one-tone actor.

  11. boredblond says:

    It’s more than who looks the part..it’s who you’ve worked with before and, importantly, who can open a big budget film. I think she’s a good actress, but probably over-hyped.

  12. Neelyo says:

    What about guys? Can’t we be Zelda obsessed teens? I know I was.

    I haven’t seen Lawrence in enough to be sick of her but I understand the sentiment because I feel the same way about Meryl Streep. I don’t doubt Streep’s talent but I get sick of seeing her instead of the other actresses in her age range who aren’t even considered for anything. But money talks and I guess Lawrence is bank.

    What’s scarier is the thought of Howard directing it. May as well get out the Ambien now.

    • lisac says:

      That is pretty scary too.

      I think Zelda would be served better as a series anyway. There is too much there to be condensed into a film.

    • mia girl says:

      Yes Neelyo- while Howard seems like a great guy, I’ve got more of an issue with him as potential director than JLaw as Zelda.
      You need a very nuanced director for this material and that’s not Howard.

  13. respect says:

    Probably she was cast because she has an immense talent and star power to match. Winters Bone…

  14. Sasha says:

    I feel JLaw just doesn’t have the sophistication to play her.
    JLaw has emotional depth, but not the intellectual depth and it is going to show.

    P.S. I thought Hiddleson was bad as Fitzgerald , though I know that the convention is that he was good. I had a different image of Fitzgerald from reading his books. Out of that whole movie I only liked Marion. Wilson was awful, McAdams was OK but didn’t have any chemistry with him. It is a nice movie but casting choices spoiled it for me.

    • lisac says:

      I didn’t mind Hiddleston as Fitzgerald. He would not have been my first choice, but his chemistry with Pill was excellent.

      Tom Hardy was fantastic as Hemingway though.

      Pill and Hardy were the best parts of the film.

    • mia girl says:

      Corey Stoll as Hemingway was my favorite thing in that movie. Standout performance and the beginning of my talent crush on him.

      Edit – oh and loved Micheal Sheen’s performance as well!

    • KLO says:

      Interesting, I mostly agree. They only thing is that MCAdams was SUPPOSED to not have any chemistry with Owen Wilson in the movie 😀

      • Sasha says:

        Why not? They were supposed to be a mis-matched couple, but still a couple. It was painful to watch them. It was like they were acting in 2 different movies.

    • GillanK says:

      I agree that her apparent lack of intellectual depth may be a problem for her – but I’m not sure that has held back other actors! Meryl Streep has never shown any particular taste for art house, but that hasn’t exactly held her back…

  15. Tallia says:

    I’m excited. She’s finally playing someone her age (for the most part) and not a 40 year old woman.

  16. Adrien says:

    Well, F. Scott looked a bit like Bradley Cooper (though Hiddles was born to play Fitzgerald).

    • lannisterforever says:

      He does look like Bradley. I think if he wants the parts it’s his, Hiddles probably wouldn’t be interested in doing it again anyway.

    • Dee Kay says:

      I would pay to see Cooper in the role as I think he and JLaw have stunning chemistry, but isn’t he too old for the part?

  17. Jules says:

    Very excited about this…I Think Jennifer Lawrence is perfect for Zelda.

    Lawrence has proven time and again that she can go to a very complex, dark place when she needs to…see: Winter’s Bone, The Burning Plain, The Poker House, The Hunger Games Series, etc.,…

    P.S. The question remains, however, which actor would be best for F.Scott??…God help me, but…Hiddleston?.

    • Amy Tennant says:

      He’s played Scott before and done well

      • Jules says:

        Oh, I agree regarding Hiddleston…honestly, I think he would be perfect, he’s a terrific actor and I believe he and Lawrence would have great chemistry.
        I just am still trying to get the I💜Taylor Swift T-shirt removed from my brain.

        However, yeah, Hiddleston is the first actor that comes to mind.

  18. Jess1632 says:

    Elizabeth moss would be my ideal choice for Zelda. JL is just too stiff (on camera) to play such a lively character.

  19. susiecue says:

    OMG I have a cat named Zelda! I just got her and I also named her after Mrs. Fitzgerald. Nerd hug!

  20. Cousin Erika says:

    Ruby Bentall (Minnie from Lark Rise to Candleford) is Zelda’s doppelganger.

    • antipodean says:

      Ruby Bentall would be perfection as Zelda. Her turn on Poldark as Verity is heartbreakingly wonderful in my opinion. Good call, @Cousin Erika. The cast of Larkrise was absolutely stellar, a veritable who’s who of brilliant thessies. Dame Judy anybody? Philip Glenister!!!!

      • Cousin Erika says:

        Love Lark Rise! Recently discovered it, and knew I was in for a binge when sitting on the edge of my couch, at the end of the episode, filled with anxiety as to whether or not the post office was, indeed less than 8 miles from Candleford!

        And yeah, that last pic of Zelda (in the post) — she looks EXACTLY like Ruby in that snap shot.

  21. Joni says:

    No thanks. Is Hollywood aware that there are other actresses out there?

    • manta says:

      Not to mention that with Lynsey Addario, Elizabeth Holmes and Dominik Egorova (if all confirmed), that would be her 4th biopic in what, 3-4 years. That’s overkill.
      Not necessarily her fault, but rather lazy producers. Let’s see, bringing to the big screen the life of a young white woman ,look no further, sign Jennifer Lawrence. I hope that the Arronofsky project is something different.

      • Greentea says:

        She’s still seen as a big box office drawcard by producers and directors. Having her name on the production list is a huge leg-up.

      • Kate says:

        Eh, it’s not like they’re all typical childhood to death biopics. Male actors like Pacino and De Niro have played many real people in films. Meryl’s done it almost a dozen times.

  22. F Scott looks like a young Kevin Kline. And Zelda and Jennifer definitely both have a pudding face look. Good choice IMO

  23. iseepinkelefants says:

    I liked Hiddles and Pill as the Fitzgeralds too. Not happy with Lawrence getting this role. She was great in Silver Linings Playbook but I just don’t see her in something so serious. She should stick with lighter material. I see her a frat bro not someone who can understand either of the Fitzgeralds.

  24. Mia4S says:

    I have to laugh at the “aren’t there any other actresses out there?” The answer is….No…..

    ….not that will bring with them the level of investors and financing that Lawrence brings. It’s not that complicated folks! Of course she’s first choice for every project. You will notice though that she doesn’t actually do every project she’s attached to (See: Glass Castle) but she will be first on the list for a long time. Welcome to Hollywood folks!

    • MisJes says:

      Agreed, Mia4S

      Hollywood is a business, and if you can get the most bankable star in town to agree to your picture, you’d be a total moron not to go with them.

      It’s really isn’t that complicated. If the idea of her in that role is that repugnant to you, don’t see the film! Just go re-watch Midnight in Paris. Sigh.

  25. Undercover says:

    Shailene Woodley would be my ideal choice for Zelda and Evan Peters for Scott.

    • LR says:

      I’m going to second the Shailene Woodley choice, she’s also a decent actor. I don’t usually keep up with all the recent movies but sat down to watch a few of JLaw because I had heard such wonderful things. The only thing I could think is “wtf?” Till this day I have no idea why she is so famous and renowned for her acting skills. She literally plays the same part in every scene and seems to rely heavily on facial expressions to bring emotion or depth to the character. I just don’t get the hype. Now a young Jodie Foster in the roll of Zelda would be awesome.

  26. Bliss51 says:

    The role of Zelda calls for the depth of a tragedienne. To my mind, Lawrence’s best work was Winter’s Bone and there were hints of that in her performance but it was the strength of her life force that made her so singular. The younger siblings and mother made me weep. Whoever plays Zelda should have honey colored hair and apricot coloring. A woman often described as a great beauty but who didn’t photograph well, of huge spirit, a gift for words and brought to her knees by eczema, mental illness and a writer-husband who lifted passages from her diaries and letters to put into his books and demanded the details of their lives together belonged only to him to write in his books. And for the record, Corey Stoll was magnificent as Hemingway.

  27. EscapedConvent says:

    Well, this news hits me hard. I majored in Zelda! Like many of us, I feel protective toward her. I cannot think of anyone to play her. I also don’t think anyone has been right to play her in the past.

    Lawrence is all right for some things, but not this. And I echo other commenters in the question “Does Jennifer Lawrence have to be in every movie?”

    It will take an extraordinary actress to play Zelda. I don’t think we’ve seen her yet.

  28. Nico says:

    Julia Garner would have been perfect. She looks a lot like Zelda Fitzgerald.

  29. Cleo says:

    An Ugh from me. She can’t disappear into the role. She’s a movie star and a personality who pretty much plays herself. One reason I have given up on movies. The good stuff is on TV: less name branding and better casting.

  30. Jaded says:

    J-Law?? Puhleeze…that’s like Gidget goes Zelda.

  31. Neil says:

    Both Allison Pill and Mia Wasikowska in HBO’s “In Treatment” turned my head and got me asking, who are these ladies?! So good. I think either of them could and maybe even should have been considered for the short list.

  32. Lotta says:

    I like Jennifer Lawrence, but if she won’t take it on I want Scarlett Johanessen.

  33. Kate says:

    I’m excited. I think she’ll do great with this role.

    I don’t know why everyone acts like she’s snatching up all the good roles, her peers are getting cast just as often in great stuff. Hell, she’s been Oscar campaigning for her friend Emma this year because she’s not in the race.

  34. I'm With The Band says:

    I have J-Law fatigue, so much so that when I see her in a film now, I simply can’t get lost in her character because I just see J-Law playing dress ups for the entire movie.

  35. Luci Lu says:

    Is ANYBODY interested in this kind of movie? I don’t think so.