Jennifer Lawrence has reportedly signed on to star in a drama about medical company Theranos.
According to Deadline, the film will be directed by The Big Short's Adam McKay with Jennifer set to play Elizabeth Holmes, the woman who skyrocketed to prominence as one of the youngest self-made billionaires ever, only to fall from grace after her biotech company came under investigation.
Launched in 2003, when Elizabeth was just 19, it was claimed Theranos would revolutionize blood testing by using just a pinprick of blood, as opposed to the usual syringing method. She quickly found success and by 2014, the company was valued at $9 billion, with Forbes declaring Elizabeth, now aged 32, to be the youngest female self-made billionaire. But following accusations that its testing was inaccurate and there had been problems in the lab, the company is under investigation, with the valuation plummeting accordingly.
Elizabeth and her Theranos executives have vigorously denied claims that the company’s tests are unreliable and have made statements that they are cooperating with the relevant authorities to resolve the issues.
While it is interesting that the producers are willing to a tackle a subject at the center of an ongoing investigation, it's the sort of biographical work that appeals to Jennifer, 25, who won praise for her performance as self-made millionaire Joy Mangano in David O. Russell's 2015 film Joy.
As expected for Hollywood's most in-demand leading lady, Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer has a long list of projects in the pipeline. Currently appearing in X-Men: Apocalypse, Jennifer will next be seen on screen in the sci-fi romance Passengers opposite Chris Pratt. She is also attached to star as Fidel Castro’s young lover in Marita, a pitch Sony has acquired from American Hustle writer Eric Warren Singer.
It is yet to be confirmed when the Theranos biopic will start filming.