EXCLUSIVE: 20th Century is looking to revive one of its more popular IPs with the help of one of industry’s biggest stars. Sources tell Deadline that the studio is developing a reboot of the 1980s classic Working Girl, with Selena Gomez in final negotiations to produce. Ilana Pena is adapting the script, and the film would likely premiere on Hulu.
Exact plot details for this pic are unknown but the 1988 pic starred Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and Joan Cusack and revolves around an ambitious secretary (Griffith) who takes on her boss’ identity while the latter is laid up with a broken leg. The film was not only one of that year’s breakout hits bringing in more than $100 million at the domestic box office, but it also was critically hailed and earned six Oscar nominations including a Best Picture nom, Best Actress nomination for Griffith and Supporting noms for Cusack and Weaver.
More from Deadline
Like so many studios who have been raiding their library looking to revive hit films from ’80s and ’90s following the success of Top Gun: Maverick, 20th Century sees this as a timely property and views Gomez as the perfect partner on the project.
Gomez remains busy on the acting and producing fronts as she is an exec producer and star of the Hulu comedy Only Murders in the Building, which is coming off a number of Emmy noms including Best Comedy following its first season and is currently in the middle of its second season. She is also starring and producing the HBO Max reality series Selena + Chef. She is repped by WME, Lighthouse Management & Media, and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett and Kole.
Starting out in the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writers room, Peña most recently created the hit Disney+ series Diary of a Future President. She not only exec produced the show but was the showrunner as well directed the penultimate episode. On the feature side she is also writing My Daughter’s Quinceañera for Universal and Eva Longoria. She also has an overall deal at CBS Productions. She is repped by Kaplan/Perrone and Ken Richman and Bryan Swatt.
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
