Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Bethonie Butler.
Over the past decade, Witherspoon has been actively expanding her empire. Here are the companies and projects the businesswoman is dedicating her time to.
Her production company
Around 2012, Witherspoon teamed up with producer Bruna Papandrea to create Pacific Standard, a production company.
Witherspoon later told the Hollywood Reporter that she started the company, now a subsidiary of Hello Sunshine, because she was frustrated with the “complete lack of interesting female leads in film.” In 2014, she brought two of the first books optioned by the company to the big screen: Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller “Gone Girl,” and Cheryl Strayed’s memoir “Wild."
"Gone Girl” was a box office hit; “Wild” landed Witherspoon, who starred as Strayed, her second Oscar nomination. (She won for “Walk the Line” in 2006.)
Witherspoon and Papandrea amicably parted ways in 2016, and the two continue to produce projects together.
Her book club
Witherspoon used to recommend compelling books by women through her Instagram, but now she also does it through Reese’s Book Club. This month’s pick is “Next Year in Havana” by Chanel Cleeton, though we wonder whether Witherspoon will include her own book, “Whiskey in a Teacup,” when it hits shelves Sept. 18. (The actress will tour several U.S. cities to promote the book.)
Her TV and film projects inspired by books
Last year, Witherspoon’s reliable book recommendations gave us HBO’s award-winning “Big Little Lies,” not to mention a forthcoming season that will star Meryl Streep. Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, her “Big Little Lies” co-producer and co-star, also optioned Lianne Moriarty’s “Truly Madly Guilty.” And there are a slew of other projects in various stages of development. Witherspoon is producing and starring alongside Kerry Washington in a limited series adaptation of Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere,” which received an eight-episode order from Hulu earlier this year.
Hello Sunshine has also optioned Gail Honeyman’s debut novel, “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine,” and Catherine Steadman’s “Something in the Water.”
Apple, which is priming to roll out a slate of original TV shows, has snagged three Witherspoon-produced series including “Are You Sleeping,” based on Kathleen Barber’s true-crime novel and set to star Octavia Spencer.
Witherspoon will also co-produce a 10-episode comedy with “Saturday Night Live” alum Kristen Wiig, who will be the show’s lead, and will co-produce and star alongside Jennifer Aniston in a drama about a morning show. They will use CNN reporter Brian Stelter’s book, “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV,” as research material.
Her lifestyle brand
Witherspoon’s lifestyle brand, Draper James, sells upscale clothing, housewares and — it was announced Monday — eyewear. There are four brick-and-mortar stores in U.S. cities across the south. The flagship store is in Nashville, where Witherspoon grew up.
Her return as Elle Woods
Witherspoon recently confirmed, in a cheeky Instagram post, that there will be a third “Legally Blonde” movie.
