Blake Lively will star as Stephanie Patrick in The Rhythm Section, according to Variety, an adaptation of the first installment in author Mark Burnell’s four-book espionage thriller series. The film’s producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions along with IM Global, are responsible for the last eight James Bond films. And critically acclaimed director Reed Morano of The Handmaid’s Tale is set to take the wheel on The Rhythm Section.
A far cry from Lively’s Gossip Girl days, the film follows a self-destructive, grieving woman whose family was killed in a plane crash. When she finds out that the crash wasn’t an accident, she’ll go to any length to track down and assassinate those responsible for the tragedy. Lively taking on an action role isn’t exactly shocking, considering her badass performance in the summer 2016 shark thriller, The Shallows.
“It is exciting for us to be working with the immensely talented team of director Reed Morano and actress Blake Lively, who have a strong vision for this very compelling story driven by a female protagonist,” Wilson and Broccoli said in a statement.
