Greta Gerwig To Topline CBS’ ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Spinoff

Indie darling Greta Gerwig will lead the cast of How I Met Your Dad, CBS’ spinoff from long-running comedy series How I Met Your Mother. With Gerwig on board, the project, which had a pilot production commitment, has been given a formal pilot greenlight. 20th Century Fox TV, which is behind the original series, is producing. In addition to starring, Gerwig — who has co-written several features — will serve as a producer on HIMYD and is expected to write. Her deal comes after a lengthy courtship, with the excitement among TV casting executives about the prospect of her doing a series comparable to that when another indie princess, Zooey Deschanel, agreed to do a pilot three years ago with New Girl (also at 20th TV). Getting Gerwig to do HIMYD was considered so important that the studio is willing to move production of the series to New York for her after the pilot, which will be shot in Los Angeles. Written/exec produced by Emily Spivey and How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, How I Met Your Dad is described as kindred spirit of HIMYM, telling the story from a female point of view. That will come from Sally (Gerwig), a female Peter Pan who has never grown up and has no idea of where she’s going in life. After breaking up with her husband of less than a year, Sally finds a solid circle of support in her friends and family. HIMYM‘s Pam Fryman is directing.

Related: ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Spinoff Officially A Go At CBS With Pilot Order

Gerwig first got noticed with the breakout role in the 2010 feature Greenberg. She has been making noise with her starring role in Noah Baumbach’s feature Frances Ha — which she also co-wrote — earning a Golden Globe nomination. Gerwig, repped by UTA and Management 360, just wrapped The Humbling opposite Al Pacino and is set to star opposite Julianne Moore in Rebecca Miller’s Maggie’s Plan.