Four years ago, Joe Cote, a Massachusetts-based high school English teacher released a short story on Reddit, and now Cote’s project is in development as a feature on a massive scale.

Warner Bros. is currently developing a new project titled ‘I Pretended to Be a Missing Girl,’ with Sydney Sweeney set to star and produce through her Fifty-Fifty Films banner. The film is an adaptation of a short story by Joe Cote, with Oscar-winning writer Eric Roth, known for his work on ‘Dune’ and ‘Forrest Gump,’ tasked with the screenplay.

The narrative follows a drifter who assumes the identity of a missing girl to deceive her family, but she soon realizes her plan has serious flaws.

The production team includes producers Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Trevor Engelson, and Aaron Folbe from Vertigo and Underground.

Sydney Sweeney, recognized for her roles in ‘Anyone but You’ and ‘Euphoria,’ is increasingly taking on production roles. She actually served as an executive producer for ‘Anyone But You,’ which grossed $220.3 million globally and netted $103 million after ancillaries. She also produced the horror film ‘Immaculate,’ which premiered at SXSW and was released by NEON in 2024.

Additionally, Sweeney is an executive producer and star in Paul Feig’s ‘The Housemaid,’ releasing on Christmas Day. The thriller, based on Freida McFadden’s novel, features Sweeney as Millie, a woman starting anew as a housemaid for a wealthy couple, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, only to discover their dark secrets.

Moreover, Sweeney is producing and leading in David Michod’s biopic of female boxer Christy Martin.

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