Jennifer Aniston has flirted with some award-friendly roles in recent years, and the latest project she’s joined looks like yet another contender.
Aniston will reportedly play sports manager Denise White in a biopic about the former Miss USA contestant’s rise through the ranks of the male-dominated industry to become one of the most prominent damage-control specialists in the professional sports world. Titled The Fixer, the film is based on a script penned by Dallas Buyers Club screenwriter Melisa Wallack.
According to Deadline, 20th Century Fox is hoping to bring on The Immigrant and We Own the Night director James Gray to helm the film, but nothing is official at this point.
Wallack’s script for the film is based on a Men’s Journal magazine article written by Paul Solotaroff, titled “The Woman Who Bails Out The NFL’s Bad Boys.” The article chronicled White’s work in assisting some of the NFL’s most prominent athletes in handling off-the-field issues affecting their public image.
The CEO and founder of sports firm EAG Sports Management, White and her firm have represented a long list of top-tier NFL players, including Kellen Winslow II, Jared Allen, and Tony Gonzalez.
Along with picking up Wallack’s pitch for The Fixer, 20th Century Fox also acquired the movie rights to White’s life story as part of the deal.
Aniston is expected to serve as a producer on the film along with her producing partner Kristin Hahn and Echo Films, the producers of Aniston’s acclaimed 2014 drama Cake, which also earned considerable award buzz.
Aniston will appear next alongside Julia Roberts in the comedy Mother’s Day, and then — in what appears to be a recurring theme — director Sean Anders’ comedy Mean Moms. There’s no word on when The Fixer will begin production.