'Frenemy of the State,' from Rashida Jones, picked up by Universal

By Sarah Sluis

Rashida Jones is full of surprises. When I interviewed director John Hamburg earlier this year, he praised Jones' acting in I Love You, Man (she plays Paul Rudd's fiance). I was pleased to see her on the big screen after being charmed by her performance on "The Office" and the budding "Parks & Recreation." Turns out, she's a writer, too, and she's just sold her second project to Universal and Imagine Entertainment.

She co-writes with Will McCormack, who, like Jones, mainly has acting credits to his name. Their latest project is graphic novel Frenemy of the State (which doesn't appear to be published yet). The story centers on a girly-girl heiress type who stalks her ex-boyfriends. After getting in trouble for her stalking, she's offered a chance to put her skills to work as a CIA spy in exchange for having the charge dropped. On one hand, the story is recycling old tropes, like that of a girly-girl or someone obsessed with relationships. Plus, who hasn't seen a million spy movies? But: consider Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which a girly-girl suddenly wields a ton of power. The story, in particular the television series, was heralded as an example of a strong, powerful woman. My guess is, this story will follow the same path.

As for her first project, Celeste and Jesse Forever? Fox Atomic originally picked up the screenplay, but when the label shuttered Overture jumped in and grabbed it. While no start date for the movie (which Jones will also star in) has been set, I'm hoping that Overture's pouncing indicates they're as eager for this film to be made as I am. The comedy centers on a divorcing couple who try to maintain their friendship even as they begin dating other people. Breaking-up stories are just so much more interesting--and funny--than falling-in-love stories.

In fact, Celeste and Jesse Forever's emphasis on a falling-apart, stressed relationship sounds similar to a Drew Barrymore/Justin Long movie that just wrapped, Going the Distance. Set to release next October, the movie follows a couple struggling through a long-distance relationship, and eventually deciding it won't work out for them. Nanette Burstein, who did the lovely documentary American Teen (even capturing an incidence of sexting gone wrong, before it jumped the shark on daytime television), is making her feature debut on the movie, which is also on my must-see list.

And while I'm on my interesting-projects-involving-women path, a rather mysterious project was picked up yesterday by Paramount for $2 million. It came from a screenwriter known for female fare (27 Dresses, Morning Glory, The Devil Wears Prada) and one known for male-oriented action flicks (Sherlock Holmes, X-Men: The Last Stand, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), so I will be on the lookout for a logline to decipher this combination. I'm hoping Mr. and Mrs. Smith will offer a hint, though, of the pitch's direction--I found that movie to be a clever homage to classic screwball within the context of an action movie.