Indie darling Greta Gerwig will star in CBS’ spinoff of How I Met Your Mother, How I Met Your Dad reports Deadline.
With Gerwig on board, the project, which had a pilot production commitment, has now been given a formal pilot green light.
Gerwig’s deal comes after a lengthy courtship, with the excitement among TV casting executives about the prospect of her doing a series comparable to that when another indie princess, Zooey Deschanel, agreed to do a pilot three years ago with New Girl. Getting Gerwig to do How I Met Your Dad was considered so important, the studio is willing to move production of the series to New York for her after the pilot, which will be shot in Los Angeles.
How I Met Your Dad is described as a kindred spirit of How I Met Your Mother, telling the story from a female point of view. Gerwig will portray that female point of view.
In How I Met Your Dad, Gerwig will play the lead role of Sally, a female Peter Pan who has never grown up and has no idea of where she is going in life. In the comedy, Sally has just figured out that she has nothing in common with her husband of less than a year and since a break-up is inevitable, Sally finds a solid circle of support in her friends and family, who are often too willing to give “good” advice that can backfire badly. Meanwhile, Sally must filter out the input and decide what’s best for her.
20th Century Fox TV, which is behind the original series, is producing and Emily Spivey, Carter Bays, and Craig Thomas will pen the script and executive produce alongside regular How I Met Your Mother director Pam Fryman.
In addition to starring, Gerwig, who has co-written several features, will serve as a producer on How I Met Your Dad and is expected to write.
Repped by UTA and Management 360, Gerwig earned a Golden Globe nomination for lead actress in a comedy for her role in Frances Ha, which she also co-wrote with Noah Baumbach.
Gerwig recently wrapped The Humbling opposite Al Pacino and her credits include Greenberg, To Rome With Love, Lola Versus, Arthur, and Northern Comfort, which she co-wrote.