Jill Soloway will direct “Ride,” a biopic about astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey to space for Lionsgate, Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced on Thursday. It will be written by Cassie Pappas.
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, “Ride” will look at the life of astronaut Sally Ride and the legendary mission that led her to become the first American woman in space.
The film will be produced by Kristin Burr (“Cruella,” “Christopher Robin”) via Burr! Productions and, Soloway and Andrea Sperling (“Professor Marston & The Wonder Woman,” “Transparent”) will produce through Topple. Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds will oversee Ride on behalf of Lionsgate.
“Sally Ride is an American Hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational,” Kahane said. “In the hands of Jill Soloway and our tremendous team of producers, we feel we have the right storytellers to honor and properly tell Sally’s incredible story.”
Soloway is the creator of the Amazon series “Transparent,” which received two Golden Globes and eight Emmy awards, including two for Soloway’s directing.
Soloway is developing “Red Sonja,” based on the comic-book character, for Millennium Films, Topple, Campbell/Grobman Films and Cinelou Films, which they are set to write and direct. Soloway is also partnering with Julianne Moore on “Mothertrucker” that follows an author’s friendship with Joy Mothertrucker, America’s one and only female ice road trucker. Soloway is co-writing the project with Taylor Blackburn. Soloway will write and direct that as well.
Soloway co-founded 50/50 by 2020, an artist empowerment network and strategic initiative of Time’s Up, as well as the community organization East Side Jews and the spoken-word series “Sit n’ Spin.”
Soloway and Sperling are represented by UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein. Pappas is represented by Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller as well as Tom Lassally and Jonathan Berry at 3Arts. Dan Freedman oversaw the dealmaking on behalf of Lionsgate.