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Elizabeth Banks to Direct “The Paper Bag Princess”

Banks on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Looks like we’re going to be seeing even more Paper Bag Princess Halloween costumes in the next few years. Elizabeth Banks is taking the beloved literary character to the big screen. The actress-writer-producer-director is signed on to helm an adaptation of “The Paper Bag Princess,” The Hollywood Reporter confirms.

Universal snagged the rights to the ’80s book by Robert Muncsh with Banks attached to the project. Joining the “Pitch Perfect 2” director as a producer on the film is “Suicide Squad’s” Margot Robbie, who will also star if scheduling permits. The pair will produce via Brownstone Productions and LuckyChap Entertainment, their respective shingles.

The classic children’s book features familiar tropes only to turn them upside down. Yes, there’s a princess, but she’s not in peril — Prince Charming is. The pair are happily engaged when “a dragon attacks the kingdom, kidnaps the prince and burns the castle,” THR summarizes. “With no clothes left to wear, the princess dons a paper bag and sets out to vanquish the dragon.” The heroine saves the the prince, but when she’s reunited with him, “he ungratefully admonishes her for not looking like a princess. The girl then call him a ‘bum,’ ditches him, and dances into the sunset alone.” What a refreshing spin on living Happily Ever After.

“The Paper Bag Princess” has sold more than 10 million copies.

Katie Silberman will pen the screenplay. She co-wrote “Isn’t It Romantic,” an upcoming Rebel Wilson comedy about a woman skeptical about romance who wakes up to find herself living in a romantic comedy.

“Paper Bag Princess’” producing team includes Brownstone’s Alison Small and Universal’s Vice president of production Sara Scott.

“We look for female directors and female writers,” Banks has said of Brownstone. “We work with a lot of female voices. And we work with guys, too. We’re not anti-man. We always keep that list very open and fluid. For me to feel like I’m actually making a difference in our business requires action and not just talking about it. So we’re always looking for a great fit for material, but as best we can we approach a lot of women,” she explained.

Banks and the online comedy platform she co-founded, WhoHaHa, recently announced that they’re joining forces with YouTube​ ​Space to support and inspire female voices in comedy. The Women in Comedy Program will help female creators produce comedy content by providing production​ ​sets,​ ​crew members,​ ​mentorship​, ​and​ workshops and events at nine YouTube Spaces around the world: ​Los​ ​Angeles,​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​Toronto,​ ​Rio,​ ​Paris,​ ​Berlin, London,​ ​Tokyo,​ ​and​ ​Mumbai.

You can catch Banks reprising the role of snarky a cappella commentator Gail in Trish Sie’s “Pitch Perfect 3,” which hits theaters December 22. The previous installment of the franchise marked Banks’ feature directorial debut. The comedy grossed more than $184 million in the U.S. making it one of the highest grossing films ever helmed by a woman. She’s signed on to direct a “Charlie’s Angels” reboot that’s set to bow June 7, 2019.

Robbie’s critically acclaimed portrayal of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding is earning her awards buzz. “I, Tonya” opens in theaters December 8.

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