Director Paolo Sorrentino Says Jennifer Lawrence Projects ‘Sue’ & Mob Girl’ Are Dead

Jennifer Lawrence obviously has clout and has been using her cache for cinematic good. After declaring she wanted to work with filmmakers like tastemaking filmmakers like Ari Aster, Leos Carax and the Coen Brothers, well, she didn’t quite do that. At least not yet. However, not long before that, she had already set up similar intentions and had linked up with projects with cinephile-friendly filmmakers like Lynne Ramsay and Academy Award-winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (“The Great Beauty”) on two different projects. One was titled “Mob Girl,” and the other was “Sue.”

However, sad news as the director has given a heartbreaking update during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying both those projects aren’t happening anytime soon, or possibly at all. When asked for updates for the two Lawrence, the director said, “No. The Jennifer Lawrence projects are not projects that are slated to go forward at this time,” the filmmaker told EW on the status of both “Sue” and Mob Girl.”

READ MORE: ‘Die My Love’ First Look: Jennifer Lawrence & Robert Pattinson Star In Lynne Ramsay’s Madness Dramedy

What is precisely why those projects are seemingly dead in the water?

Sorrentino didn’t give a detailed explanation, but we should be aware that not every project makes it to completion. Even with high-profile talent like Lawrence attaching themselves, other obstacles like financing can become significant roadblocks to getting production rolling speedily.

“Mob Girl” was based on the true-crime novel “Mob Girl: A Woman’s Life in the Underworld” by author Teresa Carpenter about Arlyne Brickman, a mob wife who became a police informant. “Mob Girl” was adapted by screenwriter Angelina Burnett, who is probably best known for her work on “Halt and Catch Fire” as well as “The Americans.”

“Sue” going away is interesting and perhaps eyebrow-raising. Based on the story of trailblazing super talent agent Sue Mengers, who crashed the Hollywood boys club of agenting in the ’60s and ’70s with an outsized personality to go with her client list that included actors like Barbra Streisand, Candice Bergen, Peter Bogdanovich, Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, Cher, Joan Collins and many more.

“Sue” reportedly kicked off an $80 million dollar bidding war, which Apple was expected to win. One has to wonder or speculate if their change in strategy after the failure of the very expensive “Wolfs” with Brad Pitt and George Clooney led to scrapping the project.

Lawrence suddenly got super busy last year, starting with shooting Lynne Ramsey’s upcoming dramedy, “Die My Love,” co-starring British actor Robert Pattinson (“Mickey 17”).

Last summer, Lawrence boarded several projects, such as A24’s adaptation of the graphic novel “Why Don’t You Love Me?,” a murder mystery titled “The Wives,” and had been circling Martin Scorsese’s “Sinatra” biopic that also stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the iconic singer. She also turned down the lead part in Gareth Edwards’ “Jurassic World: Rebirth” which went to Scarlett Johansson instead and heading to theaters in early July.

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Justine Triet (“Anatomy Of A Murder”) has also expressed interest in working with Lawrence, so it’s probably only a matter of time.

Will “Sue” and “Mob Girl” come back in another form? Another director attached, potentially, given Lawrence was the reason they were probably greenlit in the first place. Stay tuned.