Julia Roberts quietly flips the script
Fresh off a movie that didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, Julia Roberts is already onto the next thing. She’s just been tapped to lead the screen adaptation of Katy Hays’ novel Home Economics — and she’s signed on as a producer too. Translation: she’s got skin in this one.
The author’s pen moves to the screenplay
Here’s a fun twist: Katy Hays will adapt her own book for the movie. Hays, who scored big with The Cloisters and later with Saltwater, will be writing the script herself. The story’s being kept under wraps, so we’re left to wonder whether this will be a tender drama, a dark comedy, or something delightfully weird.
From page auctions to studio deals
After a fierce bidding scramble, the publishing rights landed with Pamela Dorman Books (an imprint of Viking Press). Film rights then found a home at 3000 Pictures, the Sony-backed outfit. With the author writing and Roberts producing, the project clearly has momentum and some serious industry muscle behind it.
No release date — but plenty on Roberts’ calendar
Don’t expect to see Home Economics in theaters tomorrow: there’s no release date yet. That said, Roberts isn’t twiddling her thumbs. She’s attached to Panic Carefully, a paranoid-sounding thriller about the hunt for a cyberterrorist that’s aiming for 2027.
Also: Ocean’s 14 is rolling back into town
And yes, Tess is making a comeback. Roberts will return for Ocean’s 14 alongside the familiar crew — George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Andy Garcia — with cameras expected to roll before year’s end. No official premiere date yet, but the ensemble reunion is already a headline magnet.
The takeaway
Plot details are hush-hush, but the bigger picture is clear: Roberts is recalibrating her career with a mix of literary prestige and blockbuster franchise work. Whether Home Economics will be a quiet awards-bait gem or a surprise crowd-pleaser remains to be seen — either way, it’s one to watch.