Sydney Sweeney Turning an English Teacher’s Reddit Short Story Into a Movie

Four years back, an English teacher from a high school shared a captivating short story on Reddit, one that contained unexpected twists reminiscent of “Gone Girl”. Currently, the author, Joe Cote, finds himself entangled in a turn of events that mirror the intrigue of his own written narrative.

The educational initiative from Massachusetts is being created for the big screen, with actress Sydney Sweeney set to both star in and produce it. Additionally, the renowned screenwriter Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for “Forrest Gump,” is writing the screenplay.

Warner Bros. secured the rights to the package in a tough bidding war, which has now brought attention from Hollywood to Cote. His career took off when Aaron Folbe, a manager at Underground Entertainment, discovered his story and invited him for a meeting after being captivated by it.

After Sweeney joined the project, its pace significantly increased as she recruited Roth to work on it too.

In this gripping tale I found, titled “I Disguised Myself as a Missing Girl to Pull Off a Heist,” I step into the shoes of a cunning young woman. Ten years have passed since a family’s 18-year-old daughter mysteriously vanished. With a daring scheme in mind, I arrive at their doorstep, posing as the long-lost child they’ve been yearning to find. My goal? To spend just one night with them, convincing them it’s really me, all while secretly plotting to swipe some valuable treasures and make a swift escape.

No director is attached, and Roth will commence work on the script.

Sweeney will not only take on the lead role but also co-produce through her production company Fifty-Fifty Films. Joining forces are Trevor Engelson from Underground, Folbe, Steven Schneider from Room 101, and Roy Lee and Mira Yoon from Vertigo. Cote will serve as executive producer for the project.

Sweeney is one of the rising stars in Hollywood, leveraging her charisma and business acumen to make Glenn Powell’s two-person film “Anyone But You” a surprising hit at the box office in 2023. She also headlined and produced the Neon film “Immaculate,” and garnered Emmy-nominated roles in “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus.” Upcoming projects include Apple TV’s “Echo Valley” alongside Julianne Moore, as well as Paul Feig’s “The Housemaid,” set for release by Lionsgate in December. She is represented by Paradigm and Hansen Jacobson.

Roth is a well-known author known for writing movies like ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ ‘Dune: Part One,’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ He has three agencies representing him.)

Cote, who has other stories in his library, is repped by Underground and Yorn Levine.

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2025-03-20 22:55