Rebel Wilson to make directorial debut on The Deb

The ‘Pitch Perfect’ actress is to get behind the camera on the musical comedy that is set in rural Australia.

Adapted from the hit musical of the same name, ‘The Deb’ follows loveable farm girl and high school outcast Taylah Simpkins who is certain that the forthcoming Debutante Ball, ‘the Deb’, is her big opportunity to redefine herself.

Her cynical city cousin Maeve is exiled to Taylor’s fictional drought-stricken town of Dunburn and thinks that the ball is a “heteronormative s***-show” prompting her to immediately disrupt the status quo.

In their search for the spotlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to find self-acceptance and a date to the Deb.

Rebel, 43, is set to co-star in the movie and will be joined by a cast of rising Australian stars including Natalie Abbott and Charlotte MacInnes.

The stage production originally premiered in Sydney last year and proved to be an instant hit in Australia. The musical was written by Hannah Reilly and includes original songs from Meg Washington.

Production on the movie is scheduled to begin Down Under in September.

Wilson said: “‘The Deb’ is my type of movie – full of humour, full of heart, and uniquely Australian but with universal themes. It came out of my scholarship programme at the non-profit Australian Theatre for Young People, a programme that I’m very proud of and has had incredible success.

“If there was ever a movie I was going to direct, it would be this one.”

She added: “This project is just so special and original. We’re utilising the best musical resources in the world and the most fantastic Australian talent to bring this project to the screen.”

Meanwhile a source revealed to MarkMeets PR recently that Rebel Wilson auditioned for role in next James Bond movie.

Wilson revealed that she was asked to audition for a role in the upcoming Bond movie after producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson saw her host the 2022 BAFTAs.

The actor explained that she had to clear a number of Bond-related jokes with the producers ahead of the awards, which put her in direct contact and ultimately led to an audition.

“What was really cool was getting to audition for Bond,” said Wilson, who stressed that she wasn’t going for role of James Bond, but rather an undisclosed character. The audition took place last year, though she did not reveal if she was cast in the film.

The next James Bond movie is currently in the early stages of development, with the producers still looking looking for a new lead actor. Earlier this month, Bond author Charlie Higson said that any star rumoured to take that role of 007 has already been rejected.

Elsewhere in Wilson’s chat with Variety, she described hosting the BAFTA awards as one of the “hardest gigs” she’s ever done, due to last-minute changes to the script hours before the show began.

“I don’t think people understand because when they watch the show they don’t know that two hours before [the ceremony began], half of it was thrown out and I had to start over. I was literally in my dressing room at the Royal Albert Hall going, ‘What do I write? What do I write?’ I was lucky I had a live theater background.”