Jennifer Lawrence and Adam McKay Will Team For Corporate Drama

Adam McKay and Jennifer Lawrence both made movies about big business last year. Lawrence starred in Joy for David O. Russell, a biopic about entrepreneur and Miracle Mop innovator Joy Mangano, who rose from humble beginnings to the top of a home improvement empire. McKay’s movie, his first break from surrealistic comedy, was The Big Short, adapted from the Michael Lewis book about the men who accurately predicted (and wildly profited from) the 2008 economic collapse. In the heated atmosphere of awards season, McKay and Lawrence found themselves as competitors for prizes and box office. Now they’ll team up to make something together about their common interest in the American economy.

Deadline reports that Legendary has won the rights to the “pitch package” known as Bad Blood, which McKay will write and direct for Lawrence to star in as Elizabeth Holmes, “founder of the controversial blood-test company Theranos.” More details on the true story behind the film:

Theranos is the blood-testing startup that Holmes founded in 2003, with claims it could test blood with only a pinprick instead of the traditional method of drawing blood by injection. That potential left Theranos with a $9 billion valuation as recently as two years ago. The company since has come under investigation over claims of inaccurate testing, and Holmes’ own worth — at one point valued at $4.5 billion for her 50% stake — has fallen to a fraction of that. The last valuation by Forbes placed the company’s net worth at $800 million.

Supposedly the film will cast a “critical eye on how innovative companies gain astronomical valuations, and sometimes prove to good to be true.” So expect a sort of spiritual sequel to The Big Short (and perhaps even to Joy with Lawrence as another ambitious businesswoman). McKay proved with The Big Short (which won him an Oscar) that he’s got more tricks up his sleeve than dumb (and magnificent) Will Ferrell movies. Putting him with Jennifer Lawrence (who has comedic chops to match her dramatic skills) sounds like a dream team.