'Boyhood' Director Richard Linklater Seen As 'Front-runner' To Direct Jennifer Lawrence In 'The Rosie Project'

Jennifer Lawrence' s upcoming film, “The Rosie Project,” likely will be directed by “Boyhood” director Richard Linklater, reports suggest. The movie is based on Australian author Graeme Simsion's book by the same name and Lawrence plays the lead role of an effervescent Rosie.

The plot revolves around a genetics professor who does not have a social life and fails to get along with any woman. He devises a questionnaire where he asks people to solve various queries on what to look in for a perfect wife. But his theory fails when he meets Rosie (played by Lawrence), who does not possess any of the qualities he is looking for in a wife. He fails to understand why he still gets attracted to her. At one point, the professor also meets a woman who fulfills all of his criteria, but there is no attraction.

The book was a bestseller in many countries when it was released in 2013. Sony Pictures acquired the rights and tasked Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber to write the script, Deadline reports. Weber and Neustadter are well known for penning the script for "The Spectacular Now" and "The Fault In Our Stars.”

Sony first hired Phil Lord and Christopher Miller as directors of “The Rosie Project” but they exited to work on the “Star Wars” spinoff, Entertainment Weekly reported. Linklater has not officially signed on to the movie but Deadline calls him “the front-runner” for the project. His previous works also include “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” The film will be produced by Matt Tolmach and Michael Costigan.

Linklater just wrapped up shooting the baseball-based romantic comedy, “That’s What I’m Talking About.” Paramount is scheduled to release the movie April 15, 2016. Meanwhile, Lawrence will be seen in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2,” which is scheduled for a Nov. 20 release.