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EXCLUSIVE: In a power pairing, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep are in talks to star for The Weinstein Company in the bigscreen adaptation of the Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer and Tony-winning play August: Osage County. I hear Roberts and Streep have agreed to the project and they are now working out deals and locking a production start. John Wells will direct the film from a script written by the playwright. Production will start by next summer. Streep will play Violet, the drug-addicted matriarch of the working class Weston clan. Roberts will play Barbara Fordham, the oldest daughter in the family. While mom’s problems and her penchant for revealing family secrets is a big issue, Barbara is melting because her husband is cheating with a college student. They are brought together when Violet’s husband goes missing and all three of their daughters come home to rally around mom. In the process, a lot of family secrets get revealed. The film has been developed for several years by Harvey Weinstein, who was involved in the original stage production with Jean Doumanian. They will produce the film together. They brought it to Wells, who started a relationship with Weinstein when TWC acquired his feature directing debut, The Company Men. The corporate downsizing drama stars Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Maria Bello and TWC releases it October 22.
It is the latest in a surge of activity for TWC, which is suddenly very busy not only with acquisitions but homegrown fare. TWC came out of Toronto acquiring three films — Sarah’s Key, Submarine, and Dirty Girl — and also showed the Oscar-bait films The King’s Speech and Blue Valentine there. TWC is about to start production on I Don’t Know How She Does It, with Sarah Jessica Parker starring and Doug McGrath directing, and just wrapped the Hugh Jackman-starrer Butter.
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Julia Roberts hasn’t had a soulful performance since Pretty Woman/Sleeping with the Enemy. She is such an angry actress, and seems to have contempt for being in star vehicles and getting a great lifestyle. She is probably the last audience-based female movie star, and her work hasn’t ever reached her promise. I don’t think she connected with women in Eat, Pray, Love. It had no heart, and she had no vulnerability.
Meryl Streep and PSH were fabulous in DOUBT. Theatre and Stage are two different mediums – same holds true for stage and feature actors and or performances – and one isn’t supposed to mimic the other.
Not to continue pushing the dislike button here, but Julia Roberts in a tough Tracy Letts play? Puh-leese. Not buying it.
As much as she wants to ride Meryl’s coattails, she’s going to get steamrolled right over by Ms. Streep. Is that something her agent really wants? To be seen in a film alongside one of the greatest actresses of this or any other era? I can almost predict the reviews: “Streep scores, Roberts runs and hides in Letts saga.”
Meryl Streep is great but she’s not the best choice for this.
Dianne Keaton or Jessica Lange would kill in that part.
Julia Roberts is great but is completely miscast.
Was this the only way to get this film made ?
Toni Collette and Laura Linney are great,
but if they’re casting a top name as the mom,
they should give Barbara to Amy Morton.
She totally held the screen with Clooney in Up In the Air.
Give it to Amy Morton.
I am not one to type cast, and will wait until the movie comes out to decide whether or not Julia Roberts was miscast. Streep tends to do well with everything, but I was really hoping that Estelle Parsons would make a big last triumphant return to the silver screen and do the role. She was beyond amazing in the play and really knocked my socks off, but I know that despite an academy award, she is not a big enough name for a movie.
Aurgh! I know it’s almost sacrilegious to say this, but I’m getting a wee bit sick of Meryl. As great as she was in “Prada” and “J&J,” her cutesy-bordering-on-well-night-insufferable turns in “Mamma Mia!” and “It’s Complicated” had me retching in my popcorn. There are plenty of “mature” actresses who could use a job. What about Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Annette Bening, Cherry Jones….??
No real problem with Julia since she’s not nearly as overexposed these days as Streep.
But, c’mon Meryl! Do you have to be such a piggly-wiggly stealing every damn role that comes along for a character who’s 50+?
What you talking about why shouldn’t Meryl take all the good roles if she is offered them.
I prefer Jennifer Ehle to be Streep’s daughter
I’m sorry, but I just cannot for the life of me, as big a Streep fan as I am, get excited about this pairing!
Blanchett & Streep? Now THAT would be a combination I would kill to see realized ont he big screen. I just don’t think Julia has the chops to go against Streep & she’ll be completely overshadowed & won’t do justice to the meat within this role.
i am really looking forward to this film i mean only because Meryl is in it, she is my favorite actress! Julia, i like her too but she is not really in my top ten at all but i hope it is good! I LOVE YOU MERYL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a feeling that this film will certainly have a powerhouse cast, knowing that it’s one of the most AMAZING works of the theatre to be transferred to film in a very, very long time. It’s also a play that I think will adapt itself quite well to celluloid…so long as it doesn’t get ‘opened up’ too much. (On Bway, there was such an amazing sense of claustrophobic urgency knowing that all this volatility had nowhere to ‘escape’, lest the roof of Violet’s house blow off — thank you set designer, Todd Rosenthal!!).
With all the discussion of the female characters here, I’m curious: if this film were indeed populated with all-stars in every role, HOW WOULD YOU CAST THE MALE ROLES? I’ve certainly got my thoughts on the subject (please, God, let Bill Pullman NOT be in this film…), but I’d love to know yours first…
It seems that most of you ignore the fact that they chose Meryl and Julia, not only because they’re talented, but also because they’re beautiful, succesful and popular ALL AROUND THE WORLD. Who’s gonna see a movie with Sissy Spaceck, Estelle Parsons, Laura Linney, Toni Collette, Cherry Jones or Amy Morton? Not even Glen Close is well-known anymore! We’re talking about a movie that is going to be seen in the whole world not only in the USA.
The other choice role is that of Mattie Fae; I think that Jessica Lange would be a good choice for it. The men’s roles aren’t as juicy or important. The can easily go with lesser known actors.