Take a retrospective look at director Nancy Meyers' 2000 rom-com What Women Want, starring Mel Gibson, and you'd be forgiven for wanting to roll your eyes at the stereotypical topics men are thought to presume women talk about on a daily basis (dating and dieting).
For those of you who haven't seen the film, it's about a chauvinistic advertising executive (Gibson) who, after experiencing an electrical shock from falling into a bathtub carrying a hairdryer in an attempt to tap into the female psyche for a client pitch, is able to literally read women's minds.
So, imagine our glee when we learned that Hidden Figures actress Taraji P. Henson will star in a gender-flipped remake of the film.
According to Variety, the remake will see Henson play a female sports agent who has been constantly shunned and excluded by her male colleagues.
When her character gains the power to hear men's thoughts, 'she is able to shift the paradigm to her advantage as she races to sign the NBA's next superstar', reports the publication.
To make the news even better, Henson will also reportedly serve as executive producer on the Paramount Pictures-made film, with a release date expected for 11 January 2019.
A gender swap, a woman of colour as the lead, can it get any better?
Henson currently stars in Fox's Empire and is awaiting the release of her thriller Proud Mary, in which she plays a hitwoman.
Hollywood, we thank you.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
