Rebel Wilson to give directing another try

Wilson will direct and star in Girl Group while her debut, The Deb, remains unreleased.

By Emma Keates | September 24, 2025 | 9:44am

Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Emirates

Film News Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson to give directing another try

Rebel Wilson is getting back in the directors chair for her sophomore feature. Now, unless you were one of the lucky few to attend its Toronto International Film Festival screening in 2024, you may be wondering, “Wait, what happened to her first movie? Why have I never seen it?” The film, a musical called The Deb, has been mired in a bizarre series of conflicts and legal disputes that have thus far blocked its wide release. Wilson is being sued by both her fellow producers for defamation and a production company on the film for allegedly attempting to purchase it outright. Wilson, meanwhile, maintains that she’s been working hard to get the film in theaters and all of this back and forth is baseless bullying from her fellow producers. The whole thing is a mess, and it doesn’t look to be clearing up any time soon.

It’s probably for the best that Wilson is focusing on something else. She’ll direct, write, produce, and star in her new comedy Girl Group, per Deadline. The film will follow a pop star (Wilson) who’s been kicked out of her group’s reunion tour and slapped with court ordered community service, the trade reports. She then “seizes the chance to stage a comeback by coaching a group of misfit teen girls for a major record label audition, only to push them too far, forcing her to confront her toxic industry—and her own streak of self-destruction.”

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Production is reportedly already underway with a cast that includes Randall Park, Sheridan Smith, Jamie Lee O’Donnell, Guz Khan, and Loren Gray. Ashley Roberts of The Pussycat Dolls, Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, and All Saints’ Shaznay Lewis will also appear as the other members of Wilson’s band, Girlfriends. The members of the younger band Wilson coaches have not yet been announced, but Deadline reports the team conducted a nationwide search to find them. Wicked choreographer Chris Scott is also on board, so—assuming we get to see this one—expect some fun dance numbers.

In a statement, Wilson described Girl Group as the “ultimate girl power movie” She added: “Ever since being a part of the Pitch Perfect franchise, I’ve always wanted to create something similar. Girl Group is just so fun and full of spirit that’s ready to have you singing and dancing out of the cinema.” But if you thought (or maybe hoped) this new project would provide a fresh start from the ongoing saga of The Deb, that first film is clearly still on the brain. “As I start directing my 2nd film today, I have to take a moment to remember technically the 1st film I directed [The Deb] which sadly has only been seen by audiences at Toronto International Film Festival,” Wilson wrote on Instagram. “At least we had that and I’m proud for fighting for it to happen! Buuut in these troubled times, we all need uplifting funny empowering movies, so I hope the powers that be let this movie come out!”