‘The Eyes Are The Best Part’: Greta Lee Makes Directorial Debut With Feminist Serial Killer Adaptation At Searchlight

Actress Greta Lee is making the jump to feature film director as it was revealed today she’ll be helming and writing an adaptation of the Monica Kim serial killer novel “The Eyes Are The Best Part” for Searchlight Pictures and Disney.

That fantastic news hails from The Hollywood Reporter, which was backed up by Searchlight‘s official social media account confirming the announcement.

The main gist of “The Eyes Are The Best Part,” a story set in Los Angeles, it follows a Korean-American woman named Ji-won, whose life is unraveled after her father has an affair and then leaves their family. Ji-Won finds an inventive way to satiate her rage and hunger, becoming a serial killer.

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Here is the novel’s official logline from Amazon:

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying…yet enticing. In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that. For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

Lee recently made waves with the lovelorn romantic drama “Past Lives” from director Celine Song alongside TV roles in Apple TV+‘s “The Morning Show” and Netflix‘s “Russian Doll.” Other projects on the horizon include “TRON: Ares,” and she is reportedly eyeing a lead role on the Hulu series “Best Offer Wins.” Lee is also producing that one.

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However, there isn’t any mention in the report if Lee is going to play Ji-won, the female serial killer character at the heart of the story, in the film or if that meaty role will go to another actress. Either way, it sounds like Lee has found an excellent project to direct for her first movie.