Aubrey Plaza is Hope-ful…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian and former Parks and Recreation star will topline the Netflix movie Hope, directed by New Zealand duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami.

Hope, whose plotline is under wraps, marks the second feature to be directed by van Beek and Sami following their female-driven comedy The Breaker Upperers, which they also co-wrote and starred in. That film, which was produced by Taika Waititi’s company Piki Films, premiered on Netflix in February. The Breaker Upperers made its world premiere at SXSW in March 2018.

Writing Hope is comedy screenwriting duo Karen McCullah & Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, who were behind such comedies as Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You, The House Bunny, The Ugly Truth and She’s the Man. 

Plaza will produce with Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman for Aggregate Films and Lundi Shackleton & Philippe Palaciosfor Les Espoirs Pictures.

Plaza recently wrapped production on the movie, Black Bear, a suspenseful meta-drama, which she is producing and starring in opposite Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon. She also finished up the last season of Noah Hawley’s Marvel series Legion on FX and starred in this summer’s Child’s Play from Orion Pictures. 

Plaza won a 2018 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature for Ingrid Goes West, which she also starred in and produced.