Taylor Swift sets feature film directorial debut based on her own original script

Taylor Swift as a cat in the ill-fated Cats — (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Taylor Swift is making her feature directorial debut with Academy Award-winning studio Searchlight Pictures.

Swift has penned an original script, and plot or character details have yet to be released. She wrote and directed a 14-minute short film for her song "All Too Well" which starred Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. The short was screened at both the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.

The singer/songwriter has also lent her acting chops to a few feature films, most notably playing Bombalurina in Tom Hooper's 2019 film adaptation of Cats. She also had a small part in David O. Russell's Amsterdam, which also starred Margot Robbie, Chris Rock, and Christian Bale.

"Taylor is a once in a generation artist and storyteller. It is a genuine joy and privilege to collaborate with her as she embarks on this exciting and new creative journey," Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield said in a joint statement.

Searchlight recently released Sam Mendes' Empire of Light, starring Olivia Coleman and Colin Firth, and Mark Mylod's The Menu, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. The studio also recently released Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin, which has been met with rave reviews and Oscar buzz. Swift is set to chat with McDonagh as part of Variety's annual Directors on Directors series. The conversation will premiere Monday, December 12 on Variety's official website.

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.