Shailene Woodley to headline Gregg Araki’s “White Bird”

Shailene Woodley will star in Gregg Araki’s next feature, “White Bird”, according to Variety. “The Descendents” star will play a troubled young woman whose life is upended when her mother disappears. Araki, who has a cult following as the filmmaker behind “Mysterious Skin”, “Smiley Face” and most recently “Kaboom”, wrote and will direct, and will now cast the film around Woodley, searching for actors to play her parents and the lead detective on the case.

Woodley is the star of ABC Family’s long-running “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”, now in its 5th season, and was chosen by Alexander Payne from over 500 girls to play George Clooney’s rebellious daughter in “The Descendants.” It was a role she was widely acclaimed and awarded for, nearly landing an Oscar nomination. She’s chosen her follow-up to her breakout role as the star of coming-of-age dramedy “The Spectacular Now” opposite Miles Teller and Brie Larson. James Ponsoldt will direct the adaptation of Tim Tharp’s award-winning novel.