Kim Kardashian's risks being upstaged by Hollywood star recruited for her Netflix movie
Kim Kardashian is gearing up to star in and produce a new Netflix comedy film, with an unlikely director at the helm.
The reality TV star's, 44, upcoming project, titled The Fifth Wheel, will be directed by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, 50.
Longoria, whose 2023 film Flamin' Hot garnered plenty of success, was tapped by producers seeking a female director, according to Deadline.
The project was first announced in November 2023 and found its home at the streaming service a week later.
Plot details for the movie are currently unknown, but Kardashian — who recently debuted new nipple piercings — will reportedly play a 'fifth wheel' character within a female ensemble.
The script comes from Saturday Night Live writer Paula Pell and comedian Janine Brito.
Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Cris Abrego will also producing.
Both Longoria and Kardashian recently attended Lauren Sanchez's bachelorette party, ahead of her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Pell and Brito were eager for Kardashian to perform in the project and pitched her on it once the SAG-AFTRA strike concluded November 9.
The three of them then collectively pitched the project to multiple studios.
Pell has extensive writing credits, including more than 300 episodes of Saturday Night Live from 1995–2020, as well as 30 Rock.
She won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2002 for SNL.
She has also written for shows such as Mapleworth Murders, Camping and the 2014 Oscars.
Brito's experience includes writing for shows such as the One Day at a Time reboot, Bless the Harts and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.
Insiders previously told Deadline they expected Kardashian to 'be very hands on' with marketing tie-ins with the movie, with an eye on branding.
It comes after Kim — who is now back in LA after traveling to Paris to testify at the trial of the gang accused of robbing her at gunpoint in 2016 — recently sparked backlash over her 'blasphemous' move against two Oscar nominated stars in the new trailer for legal drama, All's Fair.
The mom-of-four takes on her first leading role as a ruthless divorce lawyer in the new Ryan Murphy drama - and landed top billing over Oscar nominees Glenn Close and Naomi Watts, as well as established stars Niecy Nash, Sarah Paulson and Teyana Taylor.
All's Fair follows a team of high-powered female attorneys who leave their firm to start their own company - with American Horror Story: Delicate star Kardashian taking on the role of Allura Grant.
The trailer opens with Kardashian saying: 'Deep breath. Tell us your story ' to a client played by Showgirls icon Elizabeth Berkley.
Berkley says: 'Sorry it's a lot' with Watts responding: 'No, no, we don't meet with sorry people.'
Close then confronts Kardashian, saying: 'Get mad, get hot, get revenge!'
Kardashian's Grant then dresses down a cheating husband saying: 'You're right, everything we're gonna show you today, you should be intimately familiar with
A lingerie clad Kardashian is seen injecting herself in the thigh with apparent drugs before collapsing in a toilet cubicle - before a steamy scene shows her straddling hunky co-star Matthew Noszka, 32.
Amid her own divorce from Eric Johnson, Jessica Simpson makes a surprise cameo in one scene, throwing a drink in an mystery person's face.
Offended fans took to social media to lambast Kardashian - for whom All's Fair was created for by Murphy - for taking top billing, forcing acclaimed actors to play 'second fiddle' to the novice actress.
One fan wrote: 'In what world is Naomi Watts playing second fiddle in this hot mess?
Others penned: Looks trashy, but no wonder if we can see KK first credit. And that's sad with so many talented actresses in supporting roles.
'Why do they keep on trying to make KK an actress?'
'Kim Kardashian sharing screen space with such established actors and getting a role that is somehow more important than them is just not right.'
'This looks horrible....make it stop...'
'Must be embarassing for the liked of Glenn Close and Naomi Watts to be standing behind a Kardashian.'
Kim is back in Los Angeles after traveling to the French capital to testify at the trial of the gang accused of robbing her at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room in 2016.
The reality star broke down in tears as she told the court she forgives the defendant, despite fearing she was going to be raped and killed during the $10 million heist.
She took the stand last Tuesday and also attended Sanchez's bachelorette party in the City of Love on Friday.
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