People seem to like working with Jennifer Lawrence, as it often appears she gets her choice of role not just because she’s a great actress, but because they like having her around. That appears to be true of The Hunger Games director Gary Ross, who is reuniting with Lawrence for a film version of East of Eden, along with another adaptation entitled Burial Rites, according to Deadline.
East of Eden had been in development at Universal since 2004, but it’s been difficult to get it off the ground. Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) had been set to direct in 2009, although the rights to the book lapsed and the project never got off the ground. Recently, the studio and producer Brian Grazer put together a new deal, attaching Gary Ross to direct and now Jennifer Lawrence is set to star.
Lawrence will play Cathy Ames, the estranged wife and mother of two boys. The young men compete for their father’s attention, while believing their mother isn’t around anymore. The novel was previously adapted into director Elia Kazan’s 1955 film East of Eden, which starred James Dean in his feature debut. Jo Van Fleet won an Oscar for the role Lawrence will play.
Burial Rites meanwhile is based on a Hannah West novel about a young Icelandic woman who is accused of murder in 1829. The story is set between the murder and the trial, as prosecutors press for a public execution. Jennifer Lawrence will play the accused murderer. It isn’t clear when either film will shoot, although it’s unlikely to be until after Jennifer has completed filming the final two Hunger Games movie.