Julia Roberts Teams With Andrew Garfield For New Thriller From Challengers Director

After the Hunt will be directed by Luca Guadagnino, known for Call Me by Your Name and Bones and All, with a script by Nora Garrett in her writing debut. If negotiations with Garfield and Julia Roberts go well, the film is targeted to begin production this summer.

Described as a gripping dramatic thriller, After the Hunt is centered around a college professor (Julia Roberts) who faces a pivotal moment in her personal and professional life when a top student (Andrew Garfield) accuses one of her colleagues while simultaneously confronting a haunting secret from her own past.

The project quickly became a sought-after commodity after Imagine acquired the script and initiated development at the beginning of the year, attracting interest from numerous A-list directors and stars. With Guadagnino and Julia Roberts on board, Amazon swiftly secured the film, leveraging the already impressive star power to attract top talent like Garfield to round out the ensemble cast.

Andrew Garfield, who broke out in 2010’s The Social Network, is most well-known for playing Peter Parker in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man. He’s a Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actor who has been nominated for an Oscar and is likely looking for the next project to help him secure that Academy win. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts bagged her Academy Award in 2001 for Best Actress as the titular character in Erin Brockovich. 

With her films collectively grossing over $3.9 billion worldwide, Julia Roberts has solidified her status as one of Hollywood’s most reliable stars. Her breakthrough came with roles in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989), but it was her lead role in the iconic romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) that catapulted her to stardom. In the following decades, she furthered her acclaim with roles in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Eat Pray Love (2010), and Wonder (2017). 

Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield have shown diverse acting ranges, and the pair will make a compelling pairing in After the Hunt. Both actors have proven themselves in a variety of genres, from romantic comedies to intense dramas, showcasing their versatility and depth as performers. Roberts, with her magnetic screen presence and ability to effortlessly command attention, could complement Garfield’s nuanced and emotionally resonant performances. 

If Andrew Garfield signs on to do After the Hunt with Julia Roberts, it will become his fifth project in the works. Currently in the actor’s pipeline is We Live in Time, a romantic drama in post-production with a plot under wraps; the Magic Faraway Tree, a family adventure about a family who relocated to the countryside; and Voyagers, a dramatic biopic following the love story between Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan, and the rumored A Life of Jesus, a unique take on the life of the historical figure.

Source: Deadline