Jennifer Lopez is looking for another block to take her exotic dancer film “The Hustlers at Scores,” after Annapurna Pictures dropped out as producer and distributor, according to person with knowledge of the situation.
STX Entertainment is in advanced talks to pick up the film, an insider said. STX is currently handling JLo’s rom-com “Second Act,” which is due in theaters next month. An insider familiar with the project said Lopez and her production partners had a good experience working with STX and that’s been a significant factor in them wanting to work with the studio again.
“The Hustlers at Scores” centers on a group of exotic dancers who get their revenge on wealthy, drunk and abusive clients by maxing out their credit cards after they’ve passed out. The project was in the script stage and was dropped by Annapurna over creative differences, according to an insider.
The project was set up Gloria Sanchez Productions, the shop founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Lopez and her producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas are also taking meetings to find a new distributor.
“The Hustler’s at Scores” was expected to begin production early next year.
The film is the second in just a number of hours to be dropped by Annapurna. Megan Ellison’s studio also parted ways with its untitled project about the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News and network founder Roger Ailes.
That film, with “The Big Short” writer Charles Randolph penning the script and Jay Roach (“Game Change,” “Trumbo”) set to direct, will tell the story of the Fox News sexual harassment scandal from the point of view of the women who took on the toxic male culture of Fox News, ultimately leading to Ailes’ downfall.
Universal’s indie and foreign film arm Focus Features is in the mix with Amblin and Participant Media to pick up the film, while Canadian-based Bron Studios will likely co-finance production.
An insider close to that project told TheWrap that Annapurna dropped it due to budget issues. Another person familiar with the project, however, said that the budget had been approved just a week ago and that there may have been other issues beyond the budget.