Jessica Alba just signed a deal to star in Netflix’s reboot of the 2004 rom-com “13 Going on 30.”
Details about Alba’s specific role, along with the film’s plot, are being kept tightly under wraps for now. She will join stars Emily Bader, Logan Lerman, and Adeline Rudolph in Netflix’s take on the classic film.
A Cast and Crew Built on Nostalgia
The cast of the reboot has been built out over the past several months. Emily Bader and Logan Lerman were the first leads to be announced. The reboot will reunite Bader with director Brett Haley following their earlier Netflix hit “People We Meet on Vacation.”
Adeline Rudolph, known for “Mortal Kombat II” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” joined shortly after. With Alba now added to the mix, the reboot has assembled one of the more recognizable ensembles among Netflix’s current rom-com slate.
Production on the reboot began last month in Los Angeles, following months of steadily rolling casting announcements. Despite not having full plot details or a release date, fans of the original are left speculating about how the new film will update its coming-of-age premise for a new generation. Presumably, they will still find some ways to honor the nostalgia that’s kept the original film beloved for over two decades.
In the original film, a 13-year-old girl in 1987 wakes up one morning to find herself as a 30-year-old fashion editor living in 2004. Jennifer Garner played the grown-up version of the character opposite Mark Ruffalo, and the film went on to gross $96 million worldwide. Garner herself is now attached as an executive producer on the film, giving the project a direct link back to the original.
Who’s Behind the Camera?
Brett Haley directs from a script by Hannah Marks with revisions by Flora Greeson. Greeson is known for working on the original “13 Going on 30” and “The Princess Diaries 3,” which is in active development.
“I’m thrilled,” Garner said in an interview with Variety. “Let another group of people have a blast with that story. It helps the legacy of Gary Winick, who was our beloved director. It helps him live on.” Winick passed away in 2011 at just 49 years old. He had a heavy hand in bringing some of the early 2000’s biggest movies, including “Charlotte’s Web” (2006) and “Bride Wars” (2009).
Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum are producing through their company RK Films, which has previously produced “Maleficent” (2014), “The Gray Man” (2022) and the “Fast & Furious” franchise films.
Jessica Alba’s Recent Relationship with Netflix
Alba is just coming off executive producing and starring in Netflix’s thriller “Trigger Warning,” which debuted at number one in 67 countries and has racked up more than 91 million views globally. She also has “Maserati: The Brothers” alongside Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins on the way, along with Justin Chadwick’s “The Mark.”
For now, all eyes are on how Alba’s still-mysterious role fits into the picture and whether Netflix has another rom-com hit on its hands.
