From College Standup to Hollywood Scriptwriter

"The film script drew interest from more than forty producers, including major production companies with studio deals," reported the film and movie industry news site Deadline. In the latest development, Hollywood A-lister Jennifer Lawrence has come on board to star in and produce the project.

One Month Mark is a "spec script," in film industry parlance, meaning it was written as a speculative screenplay without being commissioned in advance. It's the latest offering from de Bruijn, who majored in English and theater at Bowdoin, where she explored the relationship between comedy, politics, and gender for her senior thesis. She was also known as a talented improv performer and stand-up comic.

As word spread of de Bruijn's latest creation, there followed what Deadline described as a "feeding frenzy," with producers bidding against each other for the rights and high-profile actors and directors also chasing the project, trying to arrange meetings with producers.

Lawrence was "the perfect fit" for the film, said Deadline, citing industry insiders, who also report that Apple Original Films (Apple's in-house production and distribution arm) has come on board. De Bruijn, meanwhile, will be executive producer on the project, as work now gets underway to recruit a director.

Deadline also cites a number of "producers in the mix" who say One Month Mark is "one of the best rom-com scripts in years." The article describes de Bruijn as "one of the most exciting emerging voices in comedy-a writer, director, and performer whose work spans stage, screen, and stand-up." One Month Mark is de Bruijn's second feature film script, we are told; her first-Early Action -was also acquired by Apple earlier this year. The plot for this comedy centers around two desperate parents who are prepared to go to absurd lengths to get their son into his dream college.

Fun Polar Bear connection: De Bruijn, who holds an MFA in writing for screen and stage from Northwestern and trained at Second City Theater in Chicago, is managed by her friend and former Bowdoin classmate Collin Litts '18 at Anonymous Content management. The two reportedly met as first-years and he officiated her wedding.

"Sophie was one of the most talented and productive students to pass through our theater program," recalls Bowdoin Professor of Theater Davis Robinson. "She embraced every opportunity with passion and creativity, did not suffer fools gladly, and over her four years at Bowdoin made the most of every class, show, and student project as an actor, singer, comedienne, and improviser. She deserves all the success she has found and fought for, and I am so thrilled the rest of the world gets to discover her talents," he said.

More media coverage of Sophie Fleur de Bruijn 's latest project:

Hollywood Reporter

IMDb

Variety

World of Reel