Perhaps best known for scene-stealing supporting roles in comedies like Bridesmaids, Bachelorette,and Pitch Perfect, Australian comedienne Rebel Wilson is ready to take center stage after she sold her comedy pitch to Universal Pictures today. According to Deadline, Wilson is attached to write, produce and star in the comedy pitch she delivered to Universal execs. Senior VP Erik Baiers will oversee the project. The film has yet to get to a title, and none of the plot details have been divulged.
Born and raised in Sydney, Wilson worked for years on stages and sitcoms down under before coming to the U.S., joining the Uptight Citizens Brigade and eventually signing with WME. After earning some notoriety for playing the parasitic roommate Brynn in Bridesmaids, she has received very positive notices for her turn as Fat Amy in the comedy Pitch Perfect this fall. Even in his thumbs down review for the film, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times admitted that she “plays a character so ebullient, unstoppable and raucous that she steals every scene she’s in.” Pitch Perfect has since become a hit for Universal, defying expectations in earning over $25 million domestically despite a limited initial release.
Wilson is also set to appear in upcoming comedies Struck by Lightning and Pain and Gain (which is directed by Michael Bay of all people.) Both are set to be released in 2013. She is also writing and starring in the ABC series “Super Fun Night,” which is being produced by Warner Bros. Television and Conaco. With all of this on her slate, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for Ms. Wilson. Because 2013 might be the year of the Rebel!
