Greta Gerwig to play lead in 'How I Met Your Mother' spinoff

By By Meredith Blake

Feb 12, 2014 | 11:39 AM

Greta Gerwig to play lead in 'How I Met Your Mother' spinoff — Greta Gerwing, seen this month at the Berlin International Film Festival, where she's a jury member, will star in (and be a writer for) the sitcom "How I Met Your Dad." (Tullio M. Puglia / Getty Images)

In news that has prompted an outcry from film geeks across the Internet, indie darling Greta Gerwig has been cast in the pilot for CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" spinoff, "How I Met Your Dad."

Gerwig, 30, will play the female equivalent of Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby character -- in this case, a young woman named Sally, described as a female Peter Pan type. The quasi-spinoff will feature an all-new cast of characters but will take place in the same bar, Maclaren's, as "How I Met Your Mother."

The project comes from "How I Met Your Mother" creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and "Up All Night" creator Emily Spivey.

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The news has prompted some fans to call Gerwig, who began her career in micro-budget mumblecore movies such as "LOL" and "Hannah Takes the Stairs" and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her recent turn in Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha," which she also co-wrote, a "sellout." While an HBO series would be one thing, so the thinking goes, this is a network sitcom derived from another show that has, according to some, already overstayed its welcome.

But in a twist that should calm the purists, Gerwig has also been tapped as a writer and producer on the project, should it go to series, meaning that her distinctive voice could have an audience of millions each week. And what's so wrong with that?

Plus, Gerwig will still have plenty of time for indie films during her summer hiatus.

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