Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Joanne Woodward has become executive producer on Lucky Them, a film that was begun by her late husband, movie immortal Paul Newman, before he passed away in 2008. Woodward has Marisa Tomei, Thomas Haden Church and Allison Janney attached to star. Scripted by Huck Botko and Emily Wachtel and to be directed by Botko (he co-wrote The Last Exorcism and co-directed The Virginity Hit), the film is about a fortysomething rock journalist who gets an assignment to find her ex-boyfriend. It’s a late bloomers coming-of-age quirky romantic comedy, and a semi-autobiographical tale about the writer’s life in NYC, dating musicians and finding herself when most of her friends have settled down.

Newman helped the filmmakers early on, giving them notes and sending the script to actors. He wanted to do a cameo in the film. Since Newman liked the project so much, Woodward put her name on it to help the cause, and production will begin in March.