Fans of Zooey Deschanel’s Fox sitcom New Girl know it as “backsliding.” Perhaps after Ashley Bell’s new rom-com comes out, we’ll start calling it The Bounceback.
I’m referring to the act of slipping into the comfortable routines of being with an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, even though you know the relationship doesn’t work and being around each other is combustible. That appears to be the plot (or driving force) behind Bell’s new feature, which THR says she’ll begin filming later this month in Austin, Texas. Directed by Bryan Poyser, Bounceback follows two former couples who spend the weekend in the Texas hot spot working through their relationships. Bell reportedly plays the ex-girlfriend of Cloverfield actor Michael Stahl-David. But these horror veterans aren’t the only ones recruited for Poyser’s rom-com. Look for Sara Paxton, cutie-blonde star of The Innkeepers and Shark Night 3D in a starring role.
It’s certainly a departure for Bell, who has been working steadily in horror after breaking on the scene as a possessed farm girl in The Last Exorcism. She recently wrapped shooting on that film’s sequel, and also has the post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller The Day reaching theaters on Aug. 17.
But hopefully projects like The Bounceback will show the actress’s range, giving her something to do beyond staring at people creepily, contorting her body, and screaming at the top of her lungs. She’s certainly capable of much more. As THR notes, Bell trained with The Groundlings, and likely will put a lot of the knowledge into Bounceback when it begins shooting.
