Emily the Criminal Series in the Works, Aubrey Plaza to Executive Produce

An Emily the Criminal series is being adapted based on the 2022 movie, with Aubrey Plaza set to executive produce.

The series will be based on the indie Sundance pick, which followed Plaza as Emily, a woman who turns to criminal means in order to pay off her student loans, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MovieMaker on Thursday.

The series will be directed and executive produced by John Patton Ford, who wrote and directed the 2022 movie. Plaza also produced the movie through her Evil Hag production banner. Tyler Davidson and Drew Sykes will return to produce the series for Low Spark Films.

However, Plaza will not reprise her role as Emily in the show. Alternative casting details have not yet been announced.

Emily the Criminal also starred Theo Rossi as Youcef, a mysterious man who lures Plaza into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles. It’s not yet clear whether he will be involved in the series, too. Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment originally distributed the 2022 movie.

Also Read: Aubrey Plaza ‘Freaked Out’ Robert De Niro on Dirty Grandpa Set: ‘ I Think I Came on Really Strong’

Plaza told MovieMaker all about making Emily the Criminal in a 2022 cover story.

More on the Movie That Inspired the Emily the Criminal Series

“I feel like there’s a part of me that could totally be a criminal,” Plaza said at the time. “I understand why that’s thrilling in a way. But, of course, I try not to do anything illegal.”

She also discussed what she liked best about working with Ford.

“One of the things that impressed me so much about John Ford was when we were in pre-production and we were dealing with so much craziness, his number-one priority was rehearsals and meeting with the actors. So I just had an instant respect for him,” she said.

“Just kind of sitting down and rehearsing before we started shooting is actually way more rare in indie filmmaking than you would think — most times I work on things, there are no rehearsals. People just kind of get thrown in there.”

Emily the Criminal was a labor of love, shot “run-and-gun, down-and-dirty style,” she added.

“You bond over it because you just find yourself in these insane situations. We were shooting in Los Angeles, but we weren’t shooting in like the glamorous parts of Los Angeles. We were shooting in underground parking structures downtown, sketchy alleyways, some random open-air market,” she said.

“No one’s doing it for the money. You just feel like this is what filmmaking is really about. And that’s where I’m the happiest, when I’m in those kinds of situations. So I loved it.”

Plaza is also known for roles like the curmudgeonly intern April Ludgate in Parks and Rec, which made her famous for her signature deadpan comedic delivery. She had a prominent role on HBO’s White Lotus in 2022, and her other film roles include 2022’s Spin Me Round, 2020’s Black Bear and Happiest Season, 2021’s Best Sellers, 2012’s Safety Not Garaunteed, 2016’s Dirty Grandpa and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, 2017’s Ingrid Goes West and The Little Hours, and 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and 2009’s Funny People.

Plaza is also attached to John Waters’ upcoming movie Liarmouth based on his book of the same name. She’ll plays Marsha Sprinkle in Waters’ first film in 20 years.

Marsha Sprinkle’s character description sounds perfectly aligned with the unconventional characters the Emily the Criminal star has become known for playing, like April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation and Ingrid Thorburn in Ingrid Goes West: “Suitcase thief. Scammer. Master of disguise. Dogs and children hate her. Her own family wants her dead. She’s smart, she’s desperate, she’s disturbed, and she’s on the run with a big chip on her shoulder. They call her Liarmouth — until one insane man makes her tell the truth.”

Main Image: Aubrey Plaza in the movie Emily the Criminal, courtesy of Roadside Attractions / Vertical Entertainment