Taylor Swift‘s musical accolades speak for themselves: ten albums, eleven Grammy wins and being the only female artist to win Album Of The Year three separate times. But recently, Swift has added video work into her repertoire, with great success. She’s also nabbed two MTV VMAs for Best Director for her work on “The Man” and “All Too Well: The Short Film,” the latter also screening at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and TIFF.
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So, no surprise that Swift wants to shift her sights to directing a feature film. Variety reports that the singer-songwriter will make her feature directorial debut with Searchlight Pictures. It’s an original script by Swift, but the plot, casting, and other details are currently under wraps. Not a bad pick-up for Searchlight Pictures, either. The studio has two recent Oscar wins for Best Picture in “Nomadland” and “The Shape Of Water,” with Martin McDonagh‘s “The Banshees Of Inisherin” a major contender this year. That’s not to say Swift will direct a Best Picture winner in her debut, only that she’s in good hands with Searchlight.
At least that’s how Searchlight presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield feel. “Taylor is a once in a generation artist and storyteller. It is a genuine joy and privilege to collaborate with her as she embarks on this exciting and new creative journey,” the pair said in a press statement. It’s hard to tell what to expect from Swift’s first film, but she has no trouble moving between genres in her musical career. Swift moves all over the genre spectrum on her albums, incorporating pop, country, alternative rock, and more indie stylings into her work. “Midnights,” her tenth studio album released in October.
But will Swift act in her feature debut? Previous onscreen roles for Swift include “Valentine’s Day,” “Cats,” and David O. Russell‘s “Amsterdam” from earlier this year. Granted, those are all small roles, and “Cats” is less a movie than a cinematic trash fire, so maybe not the best litmus test for Swift’s acting chops.
Still, given Taylor Swift’s prominence in the pop culture zeitgeist, expect her feature-directing debut to get lots of buzz and press attention. More news on this project soon. Check out “All Too Well: The Short Film” plus a behind-the-scenes look at its production below.