Although Katie Cassidy is primarily known for TV outings like playing Juliet Sharp in Gossip Girl and various versions of Laurel Lance in the Arrowverse, she’s also appeared in a handful of movies over the years. Well, the actress is about to take a big step forward with the film portion of her career, as it’s been announced that she’ll be directing her first movie. However, the subject matter might not be to the liking of Paul Blackthorne’s Quentin Lance, Laurel’s dad on Arrow.
Katie Cassidy’s feature directorial debut is titled Daddy Issues, which she co-wrote with Maria Betrand and Meg McCaig. The movie is described by Deadline as a coming-of-age story set in Los Angeles about three women who “should have already grown the fuck up,” but are “unable to escape the relationship dysfunction they learned from their fathers.” So while the two main versions of Laurel Lance in Arrow shared a close bond with Quentin Lance (though that’s not to say there weren’t rocky moments), Daddy Issues will focus on the negative ways the trio’s respective fathers have imprinted on them.
In addition to the aforementioned creative duties and starring in the flick, Katie Cassidy will also produce Daddy Issues. Marina Studios has also come aboard the movie after Cassidy showed a presentation for the project earlier this year at the Mammoth Film Festival. Production will unfold this fall in Boston and Los Angeles.
The news about Daddy Issues follows six months after the release of Katie Cassidy’s last film appearance, the romantic crime drama I Love Us, which she also executive produced. In addition to directing her first movie, there’s another reason 2022 will be a big deal for Cassidy on the film front, as she’ll soon be seen acting alongside Mel Gibson, Dermot Mulroney and fellow Arrow vet Katherine McNamara (who’s returning to The CW for Walker: Independence) in Agent Game. Still, it’s safe to say that making Daddy Issues will hold a particularly special place in Cassidy’s heart later this year.
Katie Cassidy’s other notable film credits include Click, Taken, the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Monte Carlo and Wolves at the Door. As far as Katie Cassidy’s work in the Arrowverse goes, we haven’t seen the Earth-2 incarnation of Laurel Lance, a.k.a. Black Siren, since Arrow concluded in early 2020. While there had been plans for her to star alongside Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak and Juliana Harkavy’s Dinah Drake in the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff following Arrow’s penultimate episode serving as a backdoor pilot, The CW announced that it was passing on the project in January 2021.
However, Caity Lotz, who debuted as Sara Lance on Arrow and has been leading Legends of Tomorrow since the beginning, has expressed interest in bringing Katie Cassidy back to the time travel series, as she made two guest appearances as the original Laurel Lance in Season 1. So maybe there will come a day where we see a Laurel back in the Arrowverse, but for now, Cassidy will be keeping busy putting Daddy Issues together.
While we wait for more news about Daddy Issues and Katie Cassidy’s other creative endeavors, look through the lineup of 2022 movie releases to see what will play in theaters and on streaming later in the year. This includes Agent Game, which will be released online and in select theaters on April 8.