Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Reese Witherspoon has just announced a new production banner to produce film vehicles. Hopefully, Witherspoon will generate some that portray her in the sassy way that audiences want to see her. Whether it was Water for Elephants or the recent stiff This Means War, Witherspoon has gravitated toward characters that are kind of passive. What happened to the sassy heroine of Election, Legally Blonde and Walk The Line. This Means War was a big setback for up and coming leading men Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, but most in Hollywood felt that Witherspoon bore the brunt of that misfire. Here’s hoping she gets back to the sass that got her to $15 million a picture.

Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea have joined forces to launch a new production banner, Pacific Standard. The duo will fold a number of projects into the partnership from their pre-existing shingles Type A Films and Make Movies.

Pacific Standard has several properties prepped to go out to the market. One of which is WILD, the soon-to-be published novel by Cheryl Strayed, a powerful and honest memoir that tells the story of an 1100 mile solo hike that breaks down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and brings her back to life.

Witherspoon and Papandrea look forward to utilizing the relationships they have forged with filmmakers, actors and writers to make smart, character-driven, commercial films both large and small.

“I’ve always been impressed by Bruna’s taste and her skills as a producer. I’m very excited to be working with her. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with someone so smart, fun and formidable.” Witherspoon comments.

“In Reese I have found a like-minded and incredibly passionate partner who genuinely shares the same goals. “I’ve had a wonderful time producing movies independently but I couldn’t be more excited about the company and brand we will create together,” notes Papandrea.

Witherspoon has been active in a producing capacity since LEGALLY BLONDE II. Her Type A credits include FOUR CHRISTMASES and the independent feature PENELOPE. She acquired Peggy Lee’s life rights and partnered with Marc Platt on a biographical film that Nora Ephron will write for Fox 2000. She also set up the original comedies WHO INVITED HER? in partnership with Gary Foster at Dreamworks, MY HUSBAND’S WIFE with Ryan Seacrest’s company at Universal and the
Courtney Hunt independent RULE #1 with Brad Epstein at Emmet/Furla.

Papandrea recently produced the Summit Entertainment financed WARM BODIES, written and directed by Jonathan Levine, starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, Her development slate includes the upcoming novel THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer Smith and Emily Giffin’s best selling book LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH.