Emily The Criminal - What We Know So Far

One kind of movie or TV show that continues to be popular is the story about an "ordinary" person who's forced by desperate circumstances to enter a life of crime. In terms of tone, "fish out of water" crime stories can run the gamut between dramatic ("Hustlers," "Breaking Bad," "Ozark,") and comedic ("Pineapple Express," "Weeds," "Analyze This"). But deep down they all have something in common: they're relatable. It's easy to imagine ourselves being forced to break the law, even if we'd rather not admit it.

If you enjoy fish out of water movies and TV shows about crime, you might want to check out "Emily the Criminal." On Aug. 18, 2021, Deadline first reported on the upcoming movie, which is a production of Low Spark Films. Even better, "Emily the Criminal" is quite far along in the production process, so it should arrive soon. 

Here's everything we know so far about "Emily the Criminal." 

At this point, "Emily the Criminal" doesn't currently have a release date. Deadline reported on August 18, 2021 that "Emily the Criminal" had already finished production in Los Angeles. Since it usually takes at least six months to for any movie complete post-production (via Cinemaholic), the earliest "Emily the Criminal" could possibly premiere is February 2022.

That would put "Emily the Criminal" right in the middle of a busy release schedule for star Aubrey Plaza. Currently, Plaza is starring in two upcoming films. Her odd-couple dramedy "Best Sellers" premieres in September 2021 (via Variety), followed by the Guy Ritchie action thriller "Five Eyes" on January 21, 2022 (via Movie Web). Plaza is also starring in the upcoming Hulu series "Olga Dies Dreaming." It doesn't currently have a release date, but the earliest it could premiere is in August 2022. 

Next year is already going to involve a hefty amount of Aubrey Plaza content, and "Emily the Criminal" could make it even heftier. 

As reported by Deadline, "Parks & Recreation" star Aubrey Plaza will be headlining "Emily the Criminal" in the lead role. Plaza is also producing. Joining Plaza are Gina Gershon and Megalyn Echikunwoke. Gershon will be appearing in the upcoming "Borderlands" movie based on the video game, and she's best known for her roles in "Showgirls," "Face/Off," and "P.S. I Love You." Echikunwoke has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. She was a series regular on "The 4400," "Made in Jersey," and "Damien."

The only other announced talent is John Patton Ford, who wrote and directed the film. His short film, "Patrol," was short-listed for the 2011 Academy Awards, and his feature screenplay, "Rothchild," was ranked #5 on the 2014 Black List, a prestigious annual tracking board for the best unproduced screenplays. This will be his first feature-length credit as both a screenwriter and director (via Normal Content).

It sounds like "Emily the Criminal" will be a fish-out-of-water story about a woman forced to start a life of crime. According to the description included in the Deadline report, "The film tells the story of Emily (Plaza), who is down on her luck and saddled with debt who gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences."

It's not clear whether "Emily the Criminal" will be a comedy, drama, or somewhere in between. Plaza is a proven comedic partner, but she's also branched out into more dramatic roles, recently starring in the dramedies "Ingrid Goes West" (2017) and "Black Bear" (2020). Director John Patton Ford's other work tends to include both comedy and drama as well. His other project currently in development is "Rothchild," which the Tracking Board describes as a "darkly comedic thriller" that's essentially "The Count of Monte Cristo" meets "Kill Bill." Most likely, "Emily the Criminal" will check both boxes.