Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen have signed on as co-leads in Ingrid Goes West, an edgy comedy that explores online obsession. Plaza will play Ingrid Thorburn, a girl whose quest to befriend social media star Taylor Sloane (Olsen) – an “influencerâ€Â with a picture-perfect life – turns dangerous when she upends her life and moves West to befriend her online idol.
The film will mark the feature directorial debut of Matt Spicer (who co-wrote the forthcoming Flower, starring Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn); Spicer also co-wrote the script, with David Branson Smith (a producer on Englightened and the 2013 web series Bad Sports). Previously, Spicer co-wrote and directed “It’s Not You It’s Me,†a short film starring Rob Huebel, Gillian Jacobs, and Ithamar Rodriguez (available on YouTube).
It’s been a busy year for Plaza, who stars in the summer hit Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, as well as recent Cannes favorite The Little Hours, an ensemble comedy led by Alison Brie and Dave Franco; and, while dark, the comedy should be a change of pace for Olsen, who has received critical acclaim for her roles in action blockbuster Captain America: Civil War and biopic I Saw The Light.