Taylor Swift Shuts Down Extra Screenwriter Rumors for Her First Feature Film
I’m Avery Sinclair, your resident sarcastic cynic, and Taylor Swift has confirmed she is the only screenwriter on her upcoming feature film directorial debut.
Another day, another celebrity project to overanalyze. After a three-year wait since Searchlight Pictures first announced Taylor Swift would write and direct a feature film, gossip columns started whispering that Oscar-nominee Alice Birch was secretly rewriting the script. But according to a production insider speaking with E! News, those rumors are flat wrong. Swift remains the sole writer on the project with zero assistance from Birch or anyone else.
Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield first broke the internet’s dream in mid-2021 by praising Swift as a “once in a generation artist and storyteller.” Their official press release gushed that it was a “genuine joy and privilege” to partner with her on this new creative venture. Now, almost three years after that glittering announcement, the production remains as tight-lipped as a Hollywood agent – except for this one denial about screenwriting duties.
No release date, no plot details, not even a title. All we know is that Swift’s directorial ambitions aren’t coming from thin air. Before tackling a feature, the 35-year-old pop icon cut her teeth behind the camera with music videos and the short film adaptation of her song “All Too Well.” That 15-minute piece, starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, made waves at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival by dramatizing the unraveling of a relationship widely believed to involve Jake Gyllenhaal.
During a June 2022 talkback at Tribeca, Swift admitted she treated the short “like a narrative film rather than a music video,” noting her team shot on 35mm film and approached every creative decision with old-school filmmaking rigor. She even hinted at bigger ambitions: “It would be fantastic to write and direct a feature, one that feels intimate with a small, trusted crew.” Clearly her wish came true with the Searchlight collaboration.
Dylan O’Brien couldn’t resist the praise, calling Swift’s on-set confidence “brave” and applauding her “freedom just to create an environment” for actors to thrive. Sadie Sink, who plays the lead in “All Too Well,” has remained tight-lipped about the upcoming feature, fueling speculation about Swift’s narrative vision.
Beyond filmmaking, Swift’s track record as a solo songwriter is impressive. She penned her entire Speak Now album without any co-writers at age 20, and she’s credited with writing every song in her catalog. Before turning to movies, she even had a stint as an Abercrombie model back in 2003 and was named after folk legend James Taylor. And yes, she grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, which inspired her hit holiday track.
So if you were gearing up for a major rewrite by Alice Birch, you can unplug your editing software now. Taylor Swift is keeping her script under lock and key, and the only name on the byline is hers. And that’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
