Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games franchise is now, at the very least, on a brief hiatus, allowing its leading cast members to venture into different creative projects away from the clutches of the Capitol. For Jennifer Lawrence, the curtain call brought upon by Mockingjay – Part 2 signals the end of her tenure as Katniss Everdeen for the time being, while her future as Mystique in Fox’s X-Men universe has also been called into question.
But make no mistake, the Oscar-winning actress has been ensuring that her slate remains as busy as it ever was, with David O. Russell’s Joy and the promising sci-fi Passengers lining her calendar. Now, Lawrence is ready to broaden her proverbial canvas with her first shot at directing.
Per Entertainment Weekly, the actress revealed her longstanding desire to get behind the camera, and it seems she’s already eyeing Project Delirium for her directorial debut. Having only signed on to helm the feature, which is underpinned by mental illness in the ’60s, it’s still early days on Lawrence’s next career venture, though the actress admits that “I have wanted to direct as long as I’ve wanted to act,” she told the magazine. “I just don’t talk about it because I’d rather just do it.”
As for the general set-up of Project Delirium, Lawrence reveals that the concept is lifted from an article by The New Yorker revolving around mental warfare going horribly wrong. It was originally published in 2012, focusing on the throes of the Cold War.
“It’s based on this article about mental warfare in the ’60s, like an acid experiment gone terribly wrong. It’s funny, I’ve wanted to direct since I was 16 and always thought I should start making steps towards that. If I had tried to do it earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready. Now I actually feel ready.”
Actress, screenwriter and now soon-to-be director, Jennifer Lawrence’s status as Girl on Fire clearly extends far beyond the parameters of Lionsgate’s YA series.