Taylor Swift is breaking into the film industry with a feature film of his own. Little is known about the project thus far other than the fact that Swift wrote the original script and plans to direct the movie. The film will be produced by Searchlight Pictures.
Taylor Swift to direct a feature film
On December 9, Variety reported Swift’s plans to jump into movies. The singer has appeared in small roles in a handful of films and previously directed some of her music videos, including Too Good: The Short Film.
According to Variety, Swift plans to make “her feature directorial debut with Searchlight Pictures. The singer-songwriter-director has penned an original screenplay, which will be produced by the Oscar-winning studio behind land of nomads Y the shape of water.”
Searchlight Pictures presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield issued a statement to Variety on the news, saying: “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 new creative journey.”
How Taylor Swift got started directing
Swift co-directed her music videos for “Mine,” “Me!”, “You Need to Calm Down,” and “Lover.” With her music video for “The Man”, Swift took on the job of sole director.
He then directed the music videos for their songs “cardigan”, “willow”, “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled”. She also directed the Disney+ concert film. Folklore: The Long Pond Study Sessions.
Her best-known work as a director is Too Good: The Short Film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. Swift released the short film in 2021 to accompany the release of her album. Red (Taylor’s Version).
during variety Directors on Directors series with Martin McDonagh, Swift explained that the music video for “The Man” was what sparked her interest in directing.
“I had been writing my videos for years, and I had a video that was a very specific concept that I had written, which was that I wanted to become a man with prosthetics and live my life as a man. And I wanted a female director to direct it,” Swift explained to McDonagh.
She continued: “And the few I did get close to were thankfully reserved. We like when women work. So I thought, ‘I could do it, maybe.’ And when I directed, I just thought, ‘This is really more satisfying than I could have imagined.
How fans reacted when the singer directed a movie
So far, reactions to Swift’s entry into feature directing have been mixed. The singer’s fans seem more open to the idea.
“I’m so excited for her and can’t wait to see what she’s created. My main hope is that she is not autobiographical or semi-autobiographical. I hope it’s something new and organic for her to play with,” wrote one fan on Reddit.
Another fan wrote on Reddit: “I think this will be really good for her! From what she’s talked about at film festivals, it seems like she’s really into movies and knows the process behind directing and her partners…”.
Yet others seem critical of Swift’s directing.
“What would be great is directing movies written by up-and-coming writers, things she can do to gain experience while getting exposure,” said one. Reddit user wrote.
Another Reddit user wrote: “I wish he would go to film school or get a master’s in creative writing, or at least take some classes. She has a lot of natural ability, but no one ever seems to tell her when something is too cliché and lacks nuance…”.
More information about Swift’s upcoming feature film will be released later.