Reese Witherspoon Says She’s Not Meant for “Dark” Projects

Reese Witherspoon has become a major name in the entertainment world, both in front of and behind the camera with her Hello Sunshine production company. As Witherspoon revealed during a recent panel appearance, she has learned some fascinating things about herself and the kind of projects she wants to make along the way. During Hello Sunshine’s inaugural Shine Away event (via The Hollywood Reporter), Witherspoon argued that she no longer wants to be a part of “dark and gritty” projects — in part because it’s not what audiences expect from her.

“I’m not meant to be doing dark, heavy, intense, horror, gore, darkness movies,” Witherspoon argued. “People like to see me do light movies, and I was like, OK. It doesn’t put you in the cool kids club a lot but I don’t care, I don’t want to be in the cool kids club. I want to make optimistic stuff that makes girls excited to be women in this world, because it is a wonderful thing to be a woman in this world.” 

What Is Reese Witherspoon’s Next TV Show?

Late last year, it was announced that Witherspoon is set to star in and executive produce All Stars, a half-hour comedy that has already gotten a two-season straight to series order from Amazon Studios. The series follows a former cheerleader from Daytona Beach (played by Witherspoon) who goes across the pond to teach cheerleading at a school in coastal England. 

“I’ve been looking for a project that brought our Hello Sunshine mission to make women the heroes of their own stories to a younger generation for a long time,” Witherspoon said in a statement. “When I saw this story, I immediately knew this idea would do just that. The idea of watching an American woman coming to share the very American sport of cheerleading to a group of young women in the U.K. just made me so excited! I love that this show is filled with real heart, deep joy and the power of teamwork. I can’t wait to partner with the brilliant, hilarious, and talented Aline McKenna yet again to create a truly original comedic character, and with the team at Amazon whose passion for this project was unparalleled.”

Will Daisy Jones & The Six Get a Season 2?

Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine’s recent array of projects includes Daisy Jones & The Six, the Emmy-nominated Prime Video series that arrived earlier this year. Season 1 of Daisy Jones & The Six covered the vast majority of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s original book, which chronicled the titular band forming, rising to prominence, and then reflecting on their careers years later. Still, some have begun to theorize about a potential second season, and star Riley Keough has echoed that possibility.

“It was such a wonderful experience. I think all of us would love to work together in any capacity again,” Keough explained in a recent interview. “I don’t know how much room they left for that, but I definitely would work with everyone on the show again.”