David O. Russell to Direct Selena Gomez’s Linda Ronstadt Biopic

The feature starring Selena Gomez as Grammy winner Linda Ronstadt is taking shape. Filmmaker David O. Russell is attached to direct the film, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The film, which is not yet set up at a studio, first came to public light last week, when Gomez shared a post to her Instagram Stories featuring Ronstadt’s 2013 memoir, Simple Dreams.

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Ronstadt’s key 1970s albums include Simple Dreams and Heart Like a Wheel. Her music ranged from country to rock ‘n’ roll to Latin. She released 29 albums over her decades-long career and received lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. The artist, who won 11 Grammys during her career, retired from singing after being diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease.

Gomez, a two-time Grammy nominee, currently stars in Only Murders in the Building, alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short. Some of her other acting credits include Monte Carlo, Spring Breakers and Wizards of Waverly Place. Producers on the project include James Keach (Walk the Line) and Ronstadt’s manager, John Boylan.

Russell has been nominated for five Oscars for directing as well as writing on projects such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and The Fighter. He was last in theaters with the 1930s-set Amsterdam, which featured an all-star cast including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington, though it failed to ignite the box office. He is repped by CAA.

Showbiz 411 first reported the news.

Christy Pina contributed to this story.

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