Thursday, December 28, 2017

Featurette released for "The Post"

Many have already had the pleasure of seeing The Post in theaters, but for those of us not residing in New York, Los Angeles or D.C., we have to wait until January 12.

Earlier today, a brief featurette with some new footage from the film was released.



A few good snippets from Meryl, Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg. I'm annoyed I have to wait two more weeks to see this!


Tuesday, December 26, 2017

"The Post" has strong first weekend in limited release

Over the long holiday weekend, The Post had a strong showing, averaging over $58K in just nine theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.  The film took in a total of $830K between the three cities. 

Evidently this is a very good start, and I hope the trend continues. With the movie going wide in a little over two weeks, we'll get a real sense of how it's going to do long-term. Certainly if Meryl or the film happen to bag any Globes on the 7th, it'll hopefully help further boost interest.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

First trailer for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" released (officially)

Without further ado:



I've already discussed most of this in my most recent post, but yeah, this looks like mostly prequel. And the current stuff appears to include very little of Meryl, with legitimate speculation that her character has been killed off. 

I'm not really sure what more to say about it. The first film wasn't my favorite, and now that Meryl will evidently barely be in the sequel, my best hope is that it isn't a huge pile of shit.  But if it is, it won't be because of Meryl.  I'll still see it, but looking forward to other things.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

First trailer leaked(?) for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Last night, I noticed on Awards Watch that someone had linked the first trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I tried to play it, but it had already been removed by NBC, making me think that it was a leaked version, or at least a video that someone had taken of the trailer with their phone. Regardless, there were still multiple Twitter accounts that posted the trailer so I watched it, and I can understand why fans of Meryl are pissed. There is almost no original footage of her.

In addition, the way the other characters talk about Donna (Streep's role) in the trailer strongly suggests that she has been killed off from the original. Many of us have been speculating in the past couple months about the extent to which Meryl is even in this movie, and now it seems that what role she has may be incredibly small. This is too bad, as most promotional coverage or news articles that have come out tend to lead with the fact that she's participating, suggesting a much larger role than we apparently now know she has. 

I'm not as devastated as most of the Twitter posters I've read so far, as my initial awareness of Meryl signing on for this in May sort or irritated me. But with the incredible box office success of the 2008 original, it seemed reasonable that she'd join, if not just for a cameo. 

It'll be interesting to see when the trailer is officially released and we get more clarity on this topic. But as it stands now, it looks like Meryl will have very little in the works for actual screen time in 2018, expecting her role in Mary Poppins Returns to be quite small as well. 

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

No SAG nom for Meryl

The Post was completely shut out from the Screen Actors Guild award nominations this morning. While it's certainly possible that the voting members just weren't big fans of the film, after its strong showing with the Hollywood Foreign Press two days ago, one has to wonder if the early concerns about the film's late release, and therefore sort of last minute effort to send out screeners, may have played a factor in its lack of recognition from SAG. 

Regardless, this is a blow for Meryl's Oscar chances, as well as Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and the film itself. If Meryl somehow manages to bag the Golden Globe for Actress in a Drama, however, I'll be much more relaxed about her possibilities.  If I'm being as objective as I possibly can, I still think it is extremely unlikely that Streep will be snubbed by the Academy for a film that's getting good reviews and raves for her. Time will tell of course, and it makes this season a really fun and exciting one to watch. 

The five actors nominated in Meryl's category were as follows:

Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul)
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

The SAG awards will be held Sunday, January 21. The full list of nominees can be seen here.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Meryl Streep receives record 31st Golden Globe nomination

As expected, Meryl was nominated this morning for a record 31st time (breaking her own record) by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for her performance in The Post. The film also receive noms for Best Picture-Drama, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Actor-Drama (Tom Hanks), Best Screenplay (Liz Hannah and Josh Singer) and Best Score (John Williams).  Only The Shape of Water had more nominations, with seven.

Meryl's co-nominees for Best Actress in a Drama were as follows:

Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game)
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Michelle Williams (All the Money in the World)

Williams was a surprise, at director Ridley Scott did re-shoots on his film, replacing Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer (who happened to bag a nom in supporting).

Some of the main contenders for Oscar nominations happen to be in the Musical/Comedy category this year, namely Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird and Margot Robbie for I, Tonya. The nominees in that category also included Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul), Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes). I don't expect to see Helen Mirren (The Leisure Seeker) at future awards shows.

SAG noms announced on Wednesday!

The full list of Golden Globe nominees can be found here.


Friday, December 8, 2017

New clip from "The Post"

A new clip from The Post was released today, showing a brief interaction between Meryl's character Kay Graham and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks):



Just the few seconds before they walk into the room shows some wonderful production design. We don't really get a ton from the acting in this scene, but can see Graham's trepidation about what her role may be if the Pentagon Papers become accessible to the Washington Post.

Two days after formal reviews were allowed online, the film stands at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes with 60 reviews counted thus far.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Streep earns Critics' Choice nomination for "The Post"

The Broadcast Film Critics Association released their nominations Wednesday, and The Post came away with eight nominations:

1. Best Picture
2. Best Director (Steven Spielberg)
3. Best Actress (Meryl Streep)
4. Best Actor (Tom Hanks)
5. Best Original Screenplay (Liz Hannah and Josh Singer)
6. Best Editing (Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar)
7. Best Score (John Williams)
8. Best Acting Ensemble

This awards body is historically a bit 'low brow,' but it does its best at being a barometer for what Academy members are likely to go for. Regardless, it's the first televised awards show to announce its nominations, and with both Golden Globe and SAG noms announced next week, it's important for Meryl makes it in here. The Critics' Choice Awards will be held Thursday, January 11.

The full list of nominees can be found here.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Reviews coming in for "The Post"

The embargo has been lifted on official reviews for The Post. They started flowing in fast and furious this morning, but I wanted to wait until evening to blog about it so that we had a better sense of where this might actually end up. As this post is published the film stands at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes with 48 reviews counted, and at a score 82 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim" with 19 reviews in. Suffice it to say, the film is being very well received by critics. The numbers are going to change a bit, with the Rotten Tomatoes score probably the most likely to see  a bump up or down, as we're likely to get up to 150 additional reviews when all is said and done.

Perhaps more important, however, is that while The Post is generally getting good to great reviews, Meryl, for her lead performance as publisher Kay Graham, is getting raves. Many of the critics are saying it's her best role in years, and considering the somewhat growing impression  from some that Streep has been going too broad for many of her recent high profile roles, this apparently more subdued performance is striking a cord with even the most cynical of reviewers.

It's too early to tell for sure where the film itself will end up, but I'm guessing it'll hover around 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, which will be good for its awards chances. If it somehow managed to sneak up to 85%, we're looking at a scenario of not only the picture receiving 5+ Academy Award nominations, but a real chance for Meryl to actually win her fourth. It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting on my parents' couch, after everyone else was asleep on Christmas Eve, reading the script for The Post and thinking 'this is so up Meryl's alley.' And here we are, only eleven months later(!) and discussing the film's chances for Oscar gold in March.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Greta Gerwig to direct Meryl?

Yesterday, Showbiz411 released an article in which director Greta Gerwig is quoted as saying that she's meeting with Meryl next week to discuss a film she's writing for her. OMG!

Gerwig of course is the screenwriter and director of Lady Bird, which is currently slaying in theaters and drawing the attention of critics groups. Earlier this week, the film set a record for the most consecutive "fresh" reviews ever on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 100% score after 180 reviews (at time of posting).

I have no idea what the role might possibly be that she's written for Streep, but I have to admit, I've thought about what it might be like for Gerwig to write and direct Meryl on screen. Gerwig is likely to become only the fifth woman ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, and with that pedigree, the fact that she is specifically interested in writing a role for Meryl...well, I'm over the moon (although I still REALLY wish there were a way for Meryl to play Hildy Good in the The Good House).

Excited to see what the next year of new projects holds for our girl.

By the way, I read this bit of info on the current status of The Nix yesterday:

http://www.naplesnews.com/story/life/2017/11/26/five-questions-naples-best-selling-author-nathan-hill-the-nix/889615001/


Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Streep wins National Board of Review award for Best Actress

Just a few minutes after I posted about the first social media sentiments for The Post and how favorable they were for Meryl, the National Board of Review announced their selections for best films and performances. In addition to The Post being awarded the top prize, its two lead stars, Meryl and Tom Hanks were both recognized with Best Actress and Actor awards, respectively.

If memory serves, this is the first time Meryl has received this award since her legendary turn in 1982's Sophie's Choice. As the first major precursor award of the season, these NBR results add to the already strong buzz that is building for both The Post and Meryl's apparently brilliant performance. Keep 'em comin'.  

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

First official social media reactions are favorable for "The Post"

The stupid "social media sentiment" embargo for The Post was lifted last night, and since it has already screened to a large number of Academy members, SAG members, critics, journalists and various other media outlets, everyone is now tweeting out their initial thoughts.  Entertainment Weekly has a nice crop of the generally positive reactions here.

Of course not every opinion praises the film, but I've read through several articles, including over a dozen pages of comments on Awards Watch, and the general sentiment is definitely that the film is very good. More exiting, however, is that Meryl is being almost universally praised for her understated performance as publisher Katharine Graham. Many are saying it's her best performance in a decade, and that she's by far the best thing about an already good movie.

This is a big deal, folks. We'll know more next week when official reviews can be published on December 6, but Meryl is almost guaranteed a nomination at this point with the feedback we're getting. If Streep is generally raved for her performance, the film reviews result in a Rotten Tomatoes score above 80% or Metacritic score above 80 and the box office ends up being over $100 million, without even mentioning the combined pedigrees of the filmmakers/cast and an extremely topical subject matter, not only will the picture be in contention for the top prize, but so will Meryl for her record-tying fourth Academy Award.


Sunday, November 26, 2017

Best Actress 2017: Saoirse Ronan in "Lady Bird"

Things have sort of turned the corner this week for the Oscar race. Every eligible contender has been screened and the Best Actress contenders are therefore becoming increasingly clear. Thus far in my posts regarding Meryl's challengers for her fourth Academy Award, none are likely to actually be nominated (Salma Hayek, Emma Stone, Judi Dench). Over the long holiday weekend, I managed to see a few movies, two of which are almost certain to be recognized with a Best Actress nominee.

The day before Thanksgiving I caught a matinee of Lady Bird. I happen to find Saoirse Ronan to be one of the most delightful actors working in film today, and was excited to watch her fabulous lead turn in Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut. The film revolves around Christine, who's shucked her parents' given name and chosen to call herself "Lady Bird," and her high school coming of age story set in Sacramento. For more on the specifics of the plot, check out the Wikipedia page.

First off, this cast is filled with actors whom I adore for one reason or another. Ronan's appeal I've already mentioned. Lauri Metcalf holds a soft spot for me, as I was and am a huge fan of Roseanne, and although I'll always see her as "Jackie," she was a marvel as Christine's mom, Marion. I didn't know Lucas Hedges was in the film prior to seeing it, and after last year's Manchester by the Sea (possibly my favorite of 2016), I'm happy to see him in any flick. Tracy Letts, who portrays Christine's dad, was of course was the writer of August: Osage County, which means his brain was essentially responsible for one of Meryl's Oscar nominations. And finally, Timothée Chalamet plays sort of a scuzzball to whom Christine loses her virginity, and happens to star in a likely Academy Award-nominated lead role in Call Me by Your Name, which I've yet to see,but have read the book on which the film is based, and absolutely loved.

Anyway! I'd be shocked if Ronan weren't nominated for every major precursor as well as the Academy Award. That said, I'd be equally shocked if she won the Oscar. But her fans shouldn't fret. If she's nominated for this role, it will be her third before the age of 24. Knowing this, I imagine it's only a matter of time, considering her skills and the variety of roles that attract her interest, before she's on the podium receiving her first little golden guy.

Although I've only seen one of the following five performances, the collective internet "wisdom" has these fine ladies as the leading contenders for Best Actress in a Leading Role:

1. Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
2. Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)--which I saw yesterday, more to come...
3. Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)--which I cannot fucking wait to see!
4. Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
5. Meryl Streep (The Post)

Sidebar: the "social media sentiment" embargo for The Post is lifted tomorrow (Monday), so we'll have a few more specific opinions from individuals who've seen the movie. We'll have to wait for actual reviews until December 6th, unfortunately.


Monday, November 20, 2017

"The Post" screens in New York

Although there is an embargo on official film reviews for The Post, after its Academy screening in New York City last night, some of the pundits who happened to be present have posted their not so necessarily ambiguous reactions online. A Q&A took place after the screening as well which included Meryl, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, among a few others involved with the film's making. Unfortunately, there isn't one video with the whole Q&A, but YouTube has a few shorter clips (posted by Gold Derby).  You should be able to get to the rest of them if you open the following clip in YouTube:



Leave it to Meryl to find interest in and bring attention to a human relationship that most of us probably wouldn't notice or necessarily appreciate right away. Also, Tom O'Neil at Gold Derby updated his Best Actress predictions with Meryl moved up to his top spot, among a few other Oscar prognosticators (although not all moved Meryl to first place). It's still kind of reading the tea leaves at this point, but I'm more confident in the film and Meryl's chances at recognition from what I've seen discussed thus far.



Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Best Actress 2017: Judi Dench in "Victoria & Abdul"

I managed to get myself to the theater recently to catch a showing of Victoria & Abdul. It was 1997 when Judi Dench sort of burst onto the Oscar scene for her performance as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown. I'm sure to this day, many believe she was deserving of the award for Best Actress, which she lost to Helen Hunt in As Good as It Gets. Fast forward twenty years, and she's portraying the same character, this time in the queen's final years, when she meets and forms a bond with an Indian subject named Abdul Karim. 

The film itself is fine. I'm a big fan of movies depicting British monarchs, so I'd have been OK seeing it even if there weren't buzz around Dench. I definitely prefer Mrs. Brown, as V&A was pretty predictable and sanctimonious at times. They did a nice job of depicting how awful her family was to Karim (and to her), as her affections for this man disrupted the normalcy of the royal family. 

At this point in the season, Dench is most likely not going to crack the top five for Best Actress. But she does have a few things going for her: one, she's Judi Dench, and the Academy loves her. Two, it's a rather good performance from her, even if the film itself is only at 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. Three, it's been doing quite well at the box office (at least foreign), as it's taken in $60 million worldwide. 

This wouldn't be the first time an actor was nominated twice for the same role. Coincidentally, Cate Blanchett did it for portraying another English Queen, Elizabeth I in Elizabeth, and then nine years later for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I happen to think both she and Dench were robbed for the former of their two films. 

Right now, although The Post has yet to screen (I believe the first will be for Academy members on Sunday in New York), the top five contending for Best Actress seem to be fairly firm at this point, with Meryl, Frances McDorman (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Margot Robbie (I, Tonya). Even though there will apparently be an embargo on reviews after The Post's screening this weekend, I'll keep an eye out for any prediction changes from pundits who were privy to reactions from the Academy. 


Thursday, November 9, 2017

Anna Wintour interviews Meryl Streep about "The Post"

I thought this was a joke when I first saw the headline, but it's not. And it's amazing. I love listening to Meryl talk about stuff like this and didn't think it was possible to enjoy her any more than I already do, but this may have done it. Check out the special Vogue December cover below. Let the campaign officially begin.





Tuesday, November 7, 2017

First trailer for "The Post"

I was up pretty late watching the returns come in for the Minneapolis mayoral race and thank goodness I did, as just before I was about to close my laptop and head to bed, I got an alert that Stephen Colbert premiered the first trailer of The Post on his show tonight:



As is typical, when I've been impatiently waiting for something like this to drop, it's difficult for me to be objective right out of the gates. Main reaction is that the trailer really puts Meryl front and center, in that this is a story chiefly about her character. Many pundits have questioned how large of a role she'd have.  This, in my opinion, puts that curiosity to rest.


Friday, November 3, 2017

New production stills from "The Post"

A pair of new production stills were released today by Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times:



Both are of Meryl with Tom Hanks. I'm guessing the first one might be from one of, if not the very first scene of the film, in which Kay Graham and Ben Bradlee get introduced to us and we learn about their prickly relationship over a lunch meeting. The two photos make the cinematography and production design look very high quality. Janusz Kaminski (director of photography) works with Steven Spielberg on almost all of this films, and the window lighting in the top pic seems very much him.

With the handful of stills that have been released over the past two days, my guess is that we can expect the trailer this week, hopefully sooner than later. Gird your loins.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

First look at "The Post"

The first official still from The Post was revealed earlier today:


It seems a bit strange that "Fotogramas" is the publication to show the first official pic from the movie, as I've never heard of it. Regardless, i's a great photo and I'm guessing that we'll be getting a trailer within the next two weeks, likely revealed online by mid next week and attached in theaters to Murder on the Orient Express, another 20th Century Fox film, set for release on November 10. Can't wait!

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Results of poll #5

We had the highest number of votes for a poll thus far with the latest question, "with which director would you most like to see Meryl work?" I provided a list of ten names, and over sixty people chimed in with their choice. I happened to vote for Todd Haynes, who also just happened to be the overwhelming top vote-getter, with 35% of those voting selecting him. Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson were distant second and third place finishers, respectively. Someone mentioned in one of the comments that they'd like to see her work with Xavier Dolan, and I can't believe I didn't include him in the list because I've blogged before about the fact that he wanted to work with Meryl and had even written a script for her in the past.

Haynes most recently directed this year's Wonderstruck, starring Julianne Moore, but has nothing listed on IMDb Pro as a definitive next film. The two "in development" projects listed under his name include biopics of singers Peggy Lee and Lou Reed. Reese Witherspoon was attached for the Lee project, with Haynes coming on board in 2014, but nothing has come of it yet. Even if both of those two projects are the next films he directs, there's still plenty of time for him and Meryl to eventually team up for something juicy. When and if that ever happens, I'm confident it would be something very special. Maybe a biopic of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer with Jessica Lange?

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Best Actress 2017: Emma Stone in "Battle of the Sexes"

It's been a month since I've had the chance to see a film involving a Best Actress contender. I had wonderful intentions of seeing Jennifer Lawrence in mother!, but based on the reviews and my low expectations of it's Oscar-earning prowess, I've held off. Instead, I swung by a local theater on Thursday after work to catch a screening of Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes.

Tennis has been a major interest for me since I was a kid. I've played off and on since I was 12 and have closely followed professional tennis ever since. Billie Jean King was before my time, but I was course aware of her from a young age, knowing that she had been the top ranked player at one point in the '70s. I've had the opportunity to attend matches at the national tennis center named after her in Flushing, NY, so I went into the film a little skeptical about what it may look like if they were going to reproduce major sections of her historic match against Bobby Riggs. I've since learned that the tennis scenes were portrayed by actual pros.

For those not familiar, the story surrounds the events leading up to Billie Jean King's exhibition matchup against former professional player Bobby Riggs. Spoiler alert: King beats Riggs after he had successfully defeated the then current number one-ranked women's player, Australian Margaret Court. It happens to be a socially topical story, as in the film King and other players on the women's tour are faced with overt sexual discrimination and a fight for equal pay. Emma Stone does a fine job in capturing King's struggle, as well as her mannerisms and speech. I have to admit, I tend to always see Emma Stone in her roles versus forgetting her and just seeing her character. But I didn't mind in this case, as she portrayed King as a very sympathetic and character, who unfairly had to hide her sexuality for fear of damaging her career.

The film has gotten wonderful reviews, particularly for Stone. I wonder if its release was a little too early for it to make a huge splash on the awards circuit, however. Its theme is wonderful and it's a crowd-pleaser as well, but in this year's delightfully stacked Best Actress race, not to mention that Stone is last year's winner, my guess is that she'll be the first one out the of top five for Oscar.


Sunday, October 15, 2017

Cher reportedly joining "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!"

Well isn't this an interesting twist! A few sources are reporting tonight that Cher is joining the cast of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!  Said to be in London currently rehearsing, she will evidently be performing two Abba songs in the film. No other details were revealed on her exact role or character name.

There's also been some speculation about Meryl's participation in the film. As I mentioned in my last post, filming has seemed to wrap in Croatia and we didn't see any pics of Meryl on set, sparking rumors that she wasn't involved after all. But I read this weekend that a possible reason that Meryl did not immediately comment on the Weinstein scandal (she released a statement four days after the story broke) was because her publicist said she was "off the grid" for several days. A film set in Croatia could possibly be "off the grid."

If Meryl is indeed still in the film and now Cher is joining, this latest piece of news is is just one more factor that is sure to get butts in the theater seats.





Friday, October 13, 2017

Poll #5: With which director would you most like to see Meryl work?

Despite Meryl having four projects either in the can, filming, or recently acquired by a studio, there's surprisingly been little news about her specifically in regard to these projects recently. We know Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is currently filming in Croatia (although on Instagram some cast members have apparently already wrapped which gives me pause since we haven't seen Meryl on set), The Post should have its first trailer any day now, Mary Poppins Returns is well into post-production, and The Nix was snatched up by Amazon. There have been about ten billion articles this week about Meryl's association with Harvey Weinstein, and if you're interested in discussing that, feel free to comment below. Of course I have my own opinions on the whole shit show.

So...I thought we'd throw in another poll! After poll #3, someone suggested asking with which director people would most like to see Meryl work.  I think that's a fabulous question to ask. But where to begin?  Well, take a look to the right and see if any of these folks seem suitable. I'm only listing folks that Meryl has never worked with in a live-action feature film. Looking forward to seeing everyone's thoughts.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Streep attends HBO premiere of Steven Spielberg documentary

Last night, Meryl attended the premiere of HBO's documentary "Spielberg." While this may not be particularly momentous news, I'm commenting on it because it adds to the buzz surrounding Spielberg's upcoming film, The Post, which of course stars our girl. The documentary is set to air on HBO tomorrow night (October 7), and I'm not sure if Meryl will be in it. She did briefly work with Steven in a cameo voice role in 2001's A.I. Artificial Intelligence. I'm guessing the documentary was primarily produced prior to their pairing for filming The Post this summer, but I have a feeling that Meryl will be included, thus her presence at last night's premiere.

Still desperate waiting for that trailer.


Monday, October 2, 2017

40 years of Meryl on the big screen

On October 2, 1977, Meryl Streep made her film debut in Fred Zinnemann's drama Julia. It was a minor role, but she managed to capture the attention of her co-star Jane Fonda, who, as Meryl has described, opened countless doors for her in the film industry. Only one year later, Streep would star in the film that earned her her first of twenty Academy Award nominations, The Deer Hunter. 1979 saw her win her first for Kramer vs. Kramer.  Together, the three films earned 29 Oscar nominations, with the latter two winning Best Picture. Not a bad welcome for a promising newcomer.

No one could've predicted the prestige Streep's career would achieve over the subsequent 40 years. While we likely can't expect another four decades of performances from her, with a slew of enticing roles in the pipeline over the next year, Streep is showing no signs of slowing down. Thanks for the incredible catalogue of performances you've given us, Meryl. I'll keep watching.


 

Friday, September 29, 2017

Did Amazon pick up "The Nix"?

Several months ago when I posted about the status of the limited series adaptation for Nathan Hill's debut novel The Nix, the project still hadn't landed with any specific studio. Hill had offered that maybe Netflix, Showtime, or Amazon would be in the mix to produce. Yesterday, Variety reported that Amazon Studios has increased its production spending for 2018, and among many other shows included in its pipeline, The Nix was listed as a current project in development.  I assume this means that The Nix has indeed found its home.

No word on when production was scheduled to begin, but having read the book, a lot of the action takes place during the summer, so maybe as soon as spring 2018? I wonder if the release would be likely for the end of next year or spring 2019, as the prime Emmy window tends to be in April or May, just before the deadline for qualification.

Regardless, I'm encouraged by this news, as so little concrete info has been released in some time on the status of The Nix. Always fun to look forward to new projects from Meryl!

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Trailer expected this week for "The Post"

I read on Awards Watch tonight that there is speculation in the Twitter universe that a trailer for The Post is expected before the end of the month, which means this week.


I'm not sure how much we can rely on this predictor, but apparently Clayton Davis from Awards Circuit also has reason to believe that a trailer will be released this week. It's not that crazy to expect that we get our first glimpse of the film at the end of September. I doubt it will be a full trailer, more likely a teaser running about 45 to 80 seconds.

I hope they're right!

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Best Actress 2017: Salma Hayek in "Beatriz at Dinner"

Now that we're approaching October, performances that will contend for Best Actress this year are actually becoming available to view. Namely, Jennifer Lawrence in mother! and Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes. Since Meryl is going to almost certainly be on everyone's radar for her upcoming performance in The Post, I'm planning on providing my two cents this fall on many of the possible frontrunners.

Meryl's performance may ultimately be the last I actually see, since it's not going to be released nationwide until mid January. Similarly, Margot Robbie's performance may not go wide until a similar time, but it's been seen by many people already at the Toronto International Film Festival and we know that I,Tonya is likely going to be a factor.

This year is particularly stacked with notable performances from women on screen, something that is not always the case. Cracking into the top five in votes for the Best Actor category on Awards Watch generally indicates a much-lauded performance. With the preponderance of male-led films each year, it can be difficult to stand out. It's nice to see that on the women's side it's far from a done deal as we approach the last quarter of 2017.

I'm going to start my assessment of this year's performances with one I was actually able to rent already on Itunes: Salma Hayek in Beatriz at Dinner. Before it was released, it was predicted that Hayek might be in the mix for awards, and she still may be, but the buzz has dwindled significantly. It doesn't help that the film was a summer release. But as a dark comedy, her role might show up at the Globes, and with some calling it "the first great film of the Trump era," I think it's worth covering.

I don't want to get into a super detailed synopsis, but the story surrounds Beatriz (Hayek), a holistic healer who's car breaks down at a wealthy client's home, resulting in her staying for dinner and interacting with three couples who represent stereotypical privileged whites whose biggest concern seems to be whether to decide on halibut or steak for dinner. Beatriz in particular clashes with Doug (John Lithgow (this guy's having a great year)), a CEO-type real estate magnate whom Beatriz at first mistakes for the man who ruined her Mexican town with his predatory development. Things get awkward as she uncomfortably confronts him on his way of life.

Hayek does a wonderful job in this picture. Her performance provides such a sharp contrast to the setting and viewpoints of the other main players. She's a healer, sensitive to needs and pain of other living things. Thrust into a scenario where she's surrounded by people who are anathema to everything she believes about the world, Beatriz can't help but draw attention to that contrast and shine light on the carnage that can be left behind from unbridled American capitalism.

I don't expect this film or Hayek's performance to go too far with awards. If anything, as I mentioned, a nod for Best Actress in the Musical/Comedy category is a possibility, but even there I see her as coming in at number six or seven currently. Again, it's a stacked category in 2017. In most other years, she'd likely be in the conversation for an Oscar nom. But it's anyone's guess as this point...

 

Saturday, September 16, 2017

More pics from the set of "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!"

There have been a few pics of Lily James in Croatia this week, where they're currently filming  Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!  I sort of breezed by them because they all seemed like just random shots off set. I realized today however that there were indeed a few taken of James with her co-star Jeremy Irving during what looks like an actual scene from the film:


                                 


Irvine plays the young version of Pierce Brosnan's character from the original. The full set of pics can be seen here


Sunday, September 10, 2017

Streep wins Emmy for narrating "Five Came Back"

Well what a pleasant surprise. Last night, the Creative Arts Emmys were handed out and Meryl took home the gold for narrating the Netflix WWII documentary Five Came Back. She was not in attendance of course, as production is underway for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!  Streep will now have three Emmys in her trophy case, this most recent in addition to those she won for her performances in the miniseries Holocaust (1978) and Angels in America (2003).  Now if we can just get The Nix into production, we can expect that she'll contend for her fourth!

Congratulations, Meryl.


Saturday, September 9, 2017

The state of the 2017 Best Actress race

Now that we're into September, a lot of the movies that will include contenders for Best Actress at the Oscars have been screened. Film festival season is upon us and the prognosticators are out in full force, each providing their two cents on whom they think will end up on the top spot. It's still early of course, but we're far enough along now that I figured I'd take the pulse of the race and give my own thoughts as well.

My go-to resource for getting a sense of who the contenders are has for some time now been Awards Watch. Their aggregate predictions on nominations are very accurate. Gold Derby also has their "Expert" picks up now, but I typically find Awards Watch more valuable. As of today, with 243 Awards Watch users casting votes for Best Actress, the top ten are:

1. Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) 87.24%
2. Meryl Streep (The Post) 82.30%
3. Kate Winslet (Wonder Wheel) 77.37%
4. Jennifer Lawrence (Mother!) 42.39%
5. Annette Bening (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) 36.63%
6. Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) 35.80%
7. Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) 35.39%
8. Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul) 28.81%
9. Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes) 23.46%
10. Daniela Vega (A Fantastic Woman) 12.35%

I should mention that until Sally Hawkins's film debuted recently to rave reviews for her, Meryl was solidly in first place. We won't have any reactions to The Post until likely late November, so Meryl's predictions are based solely on the pedigree of the filmmakers. Judi Dench dropped quite a bit recently after reviews were so-so for her film, likewise for Annette Bening, but to a lesser degree. Saoirse Ronan shot up this past week as well, and I'm expecting that Emma Stone will be higher than ninth in October's first poll, after her reviews for playing a young Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes were fantastic.

As recently as yesterday, I, Tonya, the biopic of Tonya Harding had sort of fallen off the radar as it was not set for a definitive 2017 release. After being screened yesterday at the Toronto International Film Festival to mostly great reviews, including for Margot Robbie in the title role, I'm expecting it to get snatched up by a distributor soon and contend for awards.  Expect Robbie to potentially be in next month's top five.

Jessica Chastain will contend for Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game, and Claire Foy stands a small chance with Breathe, starring alongside Andrew Garfield in a film that looks remarkably similar in tone to The Theory of Everything. It would be a wonderful milestone were Chilean Daniela Vega to sneak in, as she'd be the first transgender actor ever nominated for an Academy Award. I'm disappointed, however, that after strong representation last year, the top ten I've listed includes no person of color.

I have seen zero of the films listed above, but come January, I'll have seen most, if not all. If I had to make my own guesses for a top five right now, I'd have to go with Hawkins, Streep, Winslet, Bening and McDormand. I'd list Lawrence and Dench close behind, and watch out for Margo Robbie. This is a very strong year for women in film, particularly those over 40. I certainly want to see Meryl nominated, but the best circumstance would be that she's not only nominated, but the film does well both critically and financially. Everything is in place for that to happen...on paper.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Entire original cast reportedly returning for "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!"

Dominic Cooper, who will be reprising his role of Sky in the currently filming Mamma Mia! sequel, has apparently confirmed that the entire original cast will be joining the remake.  I'm not really sure how a newspaper in North Dakota scooped this info, or maybe I totally missed that the news was previously confirmed, but before today I was still unsure if Julie Walters, for example, would complete the Dynamo trio.

The larger cast has also been updated on IMDb. Although I've never been a big fan of the original original, with everyone returning and the fact that it'll be a decade since it was released, I'm getting a little nostalgic for the movie and will probably end up watching it again soon.

Looking forward to seeing the first pics of Meryl on set!


Saturday, August 26, 2017

"The Papers" switches title back to "The Post"

Deadline is reporting that Steven Spielberg's upcoming Pentagon Papers film starring Meryl and Tom Hanks is switching its title back to The Post.  Evidently the official title was Untitled Steven Spielberg up to this point and The Papers was a previous title.  I'm glad they have it figured out, as the film is set to be released in under four months.  I wager that we might even get a teaser trailer as early as late September.

Friday, August 25, 2017

First set pics from "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

The Daily Mail posted the first pics from the set of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again  Sadly, none of the photos are of Meryl, but we're treated to several of Lily James, who plays the younger version of Meryl's character Donna:


The Dynamos from L to R: Alexa Davies (young Rosie), Lily James (young Donna) and Jessica Keenan Wynn (young Tanya)

The Dynamos from L to R: Christine Baranski (Tanya), Meryl Streep (Donna) and Julie Walters (Rosie)


Some rockin' 70's fashions in these pics!  The film is set for release on July 20 next summer.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Principle photography begins on "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Well, I guess it's now official that filming is underway on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.  Last weekend I had posted an Instagram pic from Lily James which suggested that they had already begun shooting.  It looked as if she was in costume, but it's possible that they were just in rehearsals.  Regardless, Universal tweeted today they've begun production.


Filming is apparently taking place on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Previous reports suggested that some scenes will also be shot in Croatia.  No word on whether Meryl's scenes will be shooting soon.  I'm still curious to know exactly how big her part is.  Is it just a bit role and the majority of the film is with the new cast, or is Meryl still the main character and the new cast just have smaller roles shown in flashbacks?  More to come, I'm sure.


Sunday, August 20, 2017

Full cast of characters revealed for "The Papers"

I was checking out Awards Watch this morning and noticed that someone had posted that the full cast of The Papers had been revealed.  There was no source cited, so I checked IMDbPro, but several actors' names are still not associated with specific characters.  Wikipedia, however, does now list the main cast and whom each will be playing:

Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee
Meryl Streep as Kay Graham
Alison Brie as Lally Weymouth
Carrie Coon as Meg Greenfield
David Cross as Phil Geyelin
Bruce Greenwood as Robert McNamara
Tracy Letts as Paul Ignatius
Bob Odenkirk as Ben Bagdikian
Sarah Paulson as Tony Bradlee
Jesse Plemons as Roger Clark
Matthew Rhys as Howard Simons
Michael Stuhlbarg as Gene Patterson
Bradley Whitford as Fritz Beebe
Zach Woods as Daniel Ellsberg

No surprises here, really. With the exception of Hanks and Streep, the list is essentially made up of great television actors.  This list looks like a wonderful recipe for a SAG ensemble nomination.  Assuming the film is decent, the only thing standing if the way of that would be if screeners don't get out to members in time for voting to end on December 10, considering the film just wrapped less than a month ago. SAG noms are set to be announced on December 13. The film opens in limited release on December 22, going wide on January 12.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" begins filming

Yesterday, Lily James posted an Instagram photo writing "It's Happening," indicating that filming has begun on the Mamma Mia! sequel.

A post shared by @lilyjamesofficial on

There were earlier reports that filming was to be at least partly in Croatia, but I don't know if that's where this photo was taken or when Meryl's scenes actually begin.  Regardless of when they do, since it's barely mid August and filming is already underway, I expect shooting to wrap around November.


Saturday, August 12, 2017

Six years of Word on the Streep

Today marks six years since I started Word on the Streep!  After almost 700 posts (and counting), it continues to bring me great joy to follow Meryl's career.  As always, I want to say a very big 'thank you' to any and all readers.  The discussions, feedback and information you all provide make this blog doubly worth doing.  I hope to continue to live up to expectations and quality updates about our girl.

I hope she never slows down!

Friday, August 11, 2017

Results of poll #4

I know that the current poll has a few days remaining but since the voting has sort of leveled off I thought I'd comment on it now.  With 35 total votes in, I'm pleasantly surprised that Diana Nyad is the person whom people would most like to see Meryl portray in a biopic.  My surprise comes from not even expecting most people to know who she is.  I had never heard of her until I saw that one of the black list scripts was about her.

This could still be a viable role for Meryl.  A physical transformation in an inspiring story.  As I mentioned in one of my comments, it would be cool if she chose to film this just after turning 70 in 2019, sort of a fun physical achievement to prepare herself for all the swimming she'd likely have to do.  Plus, with already having completed The Papers, were she to do Nyad, I'd be two-for-two in the last two years in predicting which black list script she chose!

Make it happen, movie world.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Casting update for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Multiple sources have reported that Jeremy Irvine and Alexa Davies have joined the cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.  Irvine, best known for playing the lead role in Steven Spielberg's War Horse, will portray the younger version of Pierce Brosnan's character, while Davies will play Rosie, the younger version of Julie Walters's character in the original.

I have to admit I've never seen War Horse, but like the idea of Irvine and Meryl swapping stories on set of working with Steven.  The last I heard, filming was to start in late summer or early fall, so I suppose Meryl will be hightailing it to Croatia fairly soon.

The next year will be an unexpectedly full one for Meryl in the filming department.  Shooting just wrapped on The Papers, so I imagine that as soon as she's finished up with shooting Mamma Mia she'll be on a promotional blitz for the film back in the U.S.  Hopefully she'll be a factor in awards season.  Then we get Mamma Mia in the summer and Mary Poppins Returns next December.  Still crossing my fingers that The Nix finally gets greenlit for production as well.  If it does, I expect it to film next spring and/or summer.

It's a fun time to be a Meryl fan!





Monday, July 31, 2017

Poll #4: Whom would you most like to see Meryl portray in a biopic?

You guys have given me a great list of options for what the next poll should be.  As I said in an earlier post comment, I'm going to make polls of all the questions, but of course can only chose one at at time.

For poll number four, I've chosen the question of whom we'd like to see Meryl portray in a biopic.  We all know that she's already given us an incredible package of portayals, from Karen Silkwood, Karen Blixen and Lindy Chamberlain, to Roberta Guaspari, Julia Child and Margaret Thatcher.  But there are several more women out there that could make incredible subjects, with Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham her latest incarnation.

I've made the list longer this time around, as there are so many names I can think of that I'd love to see Meryl play.  As usual, chose one of the names in the poll.  I'm asking that if you chose "other", that you please comment your choice below.  And even if you happen to chose a name from the list but happen to think of another, I'd love to hear your suggestion.

The poll will be open for two weeks.  Let's do this.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

New pics from the set of "The Papers"

Some eager fans evidently had their phones at the ready on the set of The Papers today, as a few new shots of Meryl were tweeted:




Filming will be entering its third month next week.  I imagine they'll be wrapping by the third week in August which will leave just four months for completion before it hits theaters in a limited release.  Spielberg will probably need to have it ready even sooner, as they'll have to get screeners to SAG members and the Hollywood Foreign Press, as the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award nominations are usually announced in early December.  We know Spielberg has done it before in a short time.  He'll do it again.  

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Results of poll #3

Jeeze I almost forgot to comment on the results of poll #3: Which film would you remove from Meryl's biography?  I personally selected The House of the Spirits.  The main reason of course is that it's just an awful film.  In fact, my friend Scooter and I tried to re-watch it a few years back and had to stop after about twenty minutes because it was so bad.  Secondly, the film is a whitewashed version of a book that supposed to take place in South America.  The characters are supposed to be Chilean, but half of them are just super white Anglo-Saxon.  We could debate for hours the multiple questions and problems that involves, but I tend to be someone who prefers realism in narrative films such as this, and the casting drew me out of the story immediately.

Just as many people chose Before and After as did The House of the Spirits, and with good reason.  Before and After is arguably a worse film, but House of the Spirits was supposed to be a slam dunk of assembled talent and story.  Considering that House had the potential to be a great film and fell so far from that, I had to give it the edge over Before and After, which probably had fewer major problems overall.

What should we do for the next poll?

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

More new pics of Streep on set of "The Papers"

Filming of The Papers continues in New York with a few new snapshots of Meryl in character released online today:



Probably just a few more weeks of filming, then they'll have to hit the editing room hard to get this out by the end of the year. 



Saturday, July 15, 2017

Disney teases Emily Blunt in "Mary Poppins Returns"

Earlier today, Disney tweeted a brief video of Emily Blunt in character in the title role as Mary Poppins for the upcoming sequel to the 1964 classic:


I realize that this is basically a tease of a tease, in that we don't see any actual footage of the film, but apparently a snippet was unveiled this weekend at the Disney Fan Club Expo (D23), and the audience freaked out.

Of course Meryl has a supporting role in the picture, playing Poppins's cousin, Topsy Turvey.  The film opens nationwide on Christmas Day, 2018.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Streep receives Emmy nomination for narrating "Five Came Back"

Well isn't this a nice surprise?!  The Emmy nominations were announced Thursday and our girl snagged a nom for her narration of the Netflix documentary series Five Came Back.  Congrats, Meryl!  The others in her category were as follows:

Liev Schreiber (Muhammad Ali: Only One)
Liev Schreiber (UConn: The March To Madness--“Episode 1”)
Sam Neill (Wild New Zealand)
Ewan McGregor (Wild Scotland)
Lawrence Fishburne (Year Million)

Interestingly, Meryl has worked on screen with all of her fellow nominees, with the exception of Lawrence Fishburne.

The awards ceremony will be held September 17.  I highly doubt Meryl will be in attendance.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Lily James cast as mini Meryl in "Mamma Mia!" sequel

Multiple sources are now reporting that actress Lily James (Downton Abbey, Cinderalla, Baby Driver) has been cast in the role of 'Young Donna' in the upcoming Mamma Mia! sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.  Meryl of course plays the original Donna, while the film goes back and forth between past and present.  The great Christine Baranski has also confirmed that she'll be reprising her role for the sequel as well.

With the quality of cast that has agreed to return and new members joining, I can't imagine that this script is pure crap.  As I mentioned before, having Ol Parker at the helm this time around boosts my confidence in this project a bit as well.  The one big question remaining is exactly how big of a role is this for Meryl?  Will it be half and half present and past?  Almost a cameo?  Lead role? I'd venture a guess that it's somewhere in the middle.  We'll find out soon enough.

The film is set for release on July 20, 2018.





Tuesday, July 11, 2017

New pic from the set of "The Papers"

A new pic has surfaced of Meryl in costume as Kay Graham in Steven Spielberg's The Papers:


I think the glasses might be Meryl's, but obviously the rest is pure character.  

There's certainly been a lot of chatter on awards blogs about not only Meryl's role but the entire pedigree of this film.  Speculation is that this will contend for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor and Actress.   I want more than anything for this movie to be big deal and of course bring Meryl a lot of acclaim, but the pessimist in me is cautious.  We've been in the position before where expectations were super high for a film (see A:OC) and it not delivering in all departments.  Here's hoping The Papers is the real thing.  


Saturday, July 8, 2017

John Williams to score "The Papers"

Variety reported yesterday that five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams will be writing the score for The Papers.  Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg's other film that is currently going through post-production, was apparently going to be scored by Williams, but since The Papers will likely be finishing up within the next month, Allen Silvestri will handle Ready Player One and Williams The Papers. 

I hadn't realized that Williams worked with Spielberg on all but two of Spielberg's other films.  The Papers is shaping up to have everything it needs to in regard to production team and actors to be a huge deal.  If this goes well, it could be a major boost to Meryl's career.  I realize that she already enjoys legend status in Hollywood, but I'm always looking forward to whether or not great scripts get put into production with her involved.  Favorable reviews and big box office returns for a film that captures the zeitgeist of the U.S. political climate could very well be the next project to do that for her, a la The Devil Wears Prada.  It's exciting.



Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Wish list entry #5: Clarice Lispector

It has been since March of 2014 that I've made an official entry to this blog section.  What's prompted the update?  Well, over the past several weeks I've been revisiting the list of roles I've kept of characters (whether real people or fictional) I'd love to see Meryl portray.  I have a more specific intention for revisiting this list, but I'm not going to get into that quite yet.  Suffice it to say that I'll be taking on another fairly extensive Meryl project, not unlike my Reimagined Filmography.  More on that in the future.

Having the day off from work yesterday for Independence Day, I found myself doing a deep dive of the "rumored projects" section of the Meryl Streep Forum.   It was a good review of some things I already knew, but there were many roles or potential projects that I had never heard of!  Most of them were indeed simply rumors.  Others turned out to be the real deal.  One role in particular that she was rumored for, based purely on fan speculation, was a biopic of Brazilian author Clarice Lispector.

I had never heard of Lispector prior to yesterday.  Reading that she was Brazilian quickly made me wonder if it would be appropriate for a white person to portray a Brazilian, but Lispector was actually born to Ukrainian parents (in Ukraine) and emigrated to Brazil as an infant.  Of course my mind immediately went to "OMG I wonder what she sounded like?!"  So I promptly went on YouTube and watched a portion of the only television interview she ever did, which took place in January of 1977, less than a year before her death, one day before turning 57.

Why this character?  After reading about her background, life events and personality, and having watched her interview online, she seems like an absolutely fascinating individual.  Leaving post-WWI Ukraine with her family as a baby, growing up Jewish, frighteningly intelligent, possibly mental illness, physical impairment (she suffered severe burns on her right hand after falling asleep with a lit cigarette in 1966), death by ovarian cancer at relatively young age.   Add that to the aforementioned distinct speech she had (one of Meryl's specialties), and it would be very interesting to see on screen.

I couldn't find any info on whether or not she definitively spoke English, but considering she spent a fair amount of time in London and over five years living in the U.S., I imagine she did.  American author Benjamin Moser published an extensive biography on Lispector in 2012 entitled Why This World, which I may just have to check out.  Perhaps I'll get a better idea of how a feature film would've worked out if one were interested in chronicling her later life.




Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Poll #3: Which film would you remove from Meryl's filmography?

If any of you have read my reimagined filmography of Meryl's career, you know I've spent way too much a lot of time pondering which movies of hers I'd replace or simply remove, given the chance.  As it's been a few weeks since I've posted a poll and a few readers have had the same suggestion on what the next one should be, off to the side you'll see the latest question.  Feel free to add your explanations for your choices in the comments section as usual.  I'm going to leave voting open for two weeks this time.

Friday, June 23, 2017

First look at Meryl in "The Papers"

Some lucky woman who was apparently late for work snapped a selfie on an elevator with Meryl (on her birthday no less) and Tom Hanks while the two were in costume on the set of The Papers. 


It looks like Meryl is wearing her own glasses, but that hair and dress are extremely 1970s.  She of course will be portraying publisher Kay Graham, while Tom Hanks plays editor Ben Bradlee.  Despite this being a non-official still, it's nice to get a glimpse of their looks.  

Thanks to Sean L for alerting me to the pic!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Happy 68th, Meryl!

Our girl turns 68 today.  Not much to say other than just acknowledging this milestone.  She's probably busily shooting scenes this week for The Papers, but hopefully she gets a chance to put her feet up and enjoy a nice glass of wine at some point.  Cheers to you on your birthday and best wishes for many more to come.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

What's the status of "The Nix"?

I came across a couple of videos on You Tube today that feature author Nathan Hill on tour discussing his novel The Nix.  As we know, it was announced last September that Meryl had signed on to portray one of the main characters, Faye.  Not long after that we learned that John Logan would be the showrunner and that Meryl was going to make bank for each episode.  Other than that, not much has been updated since.

So, my ears perked up a bit when Hill briefly discussed the potential limited series in two separate videos at events that both took place last month.  Go to 51:23 in the first and 48:55 in the second.

    


    

We don't really learn a ton of new stuff, but since both of these events took place in May, it's good to know that he recently met with producers about the adaptation.  He confirmed John Logan as the screenwriter, stated J.J. Abrams would be directing and that it would probably be a single season of about 10 episodes.  They're just waiting to see which network is interested in picking it up.  This seems HBO-ish to me, but could see it going to Netflix or Amazon too.  I don't really care, as long as it gets made.

Despite The Papers probably wrapping by early August, Meryl won't have a ton of time before heading to Croatia to film Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!  The Nix is a fairly sprawling tale which could potentially take a while time to shoot.  That said, Meryl's role of Faye would not require she be in every episode, or at least not a lot of every episode.  It might make sense for them to shoot this next spring and have it out by fall of next year to precede the midterm elections in the U.S.  Looking forward to the possibility of seeing this story come to life.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" set to film in Croatia this fal

An online Croatian magazine has reported that filming for the Mamma Mia! sequel is planned to begin on the island of Vis this fall.  Set near Croatia's Dalmation coast, the island will serve as a substitute for the Greek island of Kalokairi.

My big question is what does "fall" or "later this year" mean?  Also, we still don't know exactly how big Meryl's part is going to be in this pic.  An autumn filming schedule could mean different things for other potential projects if Meryl were lead vs supporting.  By most accounts, it sounds like she does not have the same size role as the original, which would likely result in a shorter shooting schedule for her in Croatia.

I wonder if we're ever going to hear about a network that officially picks up The Nix.  If that were to get pulled together, I imagine that they'd like to get it going to allow for a release prior to May 31 next year, which would make it eligible for the Emmys.  Similarly to The Papers, The Nix is very topical considering the current U.S. president and overall political climate.  In fact, I think it even more so captures the zeitgeist than does The Papers, so getting it out sooner than later seems like it would maximize interest and therefore viewers.

Stay tuned.

Not a bad spot to film a movie. 

Monday, June 12, 2017

Results of poll #2

It's been almost two weeks since the second poll closed.  I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that Evita came in first with a total of  14 votes (40%).  In second place with nine votes was Thelma & Louise, which of course was the film I voted for.  As I had commented in my original Shoulda Coulda Woulda for that film, it's probably the mother of all missed opportunities for me as a Meryl fan.  Of course there is no way of knowing if the film would've been as good or successful with different leading ladies, but that doesn't stop me from wondering.  Especially since it came during Merl's "wilderness years" in regard to quality pictures.

Glad to see that Julieta didn't finish last.  Wasn't sure if people would be aware of how that film never came to fruition with Meryl.

What do people want for next poll?

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Behind the scenes look at "Mary Poppins Returns"

Entertainment Weekly is running a cover story on Mary Poppins Returns.  In it, they apparently give us some behind the scenes info on the making of the film.  There's a link to a few new production stills as well.  Although we don't get a glimpse of Meryl in character as Topsy, we do get a shot of her at the piano with Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda:


After watching the below video, I'm actually kind of getting excited to see this film.  I'm a great fan of the original and the sequel's production value looks exquisite.  Only a year and a half to wait! 

                                     

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

"The Post" gets new title, cast members

Several sources are reporting today that the 'Untitled Steven Spielberg Project,' formerly known as The Post, has been retitled The Papers.  This most likely refers to the Pentagon Papers, but I wonder if it might also include the fact that the publishing of the Pentagon Papers was a duel effort that actually began with The New York Times, not the Washington Post.  Regardless, the new title is more fitting.

In addition to the new title, at least twelve new cast members were revealed today.  IMDb has already added the names, and it's quite impressive.  Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story, The People v. O.J. Simpson)  Michael Stuhlbarg (from TV's Fargo and the upcoming Call Me By Your Name which I cannot wait for), Matthew Rhys (whom I absolutely adore from The Americans) and Tracy Letts (who of course wrote August: Osage County), among others.   Unfortunately, the characters each is playing is not yet listed, but I'm sure we could speculate to high heaven as to who is playing whom.  I'm particularly interested in which actress of either Carrie Coon or Alison Brie will play Meryl's daughter, Lally.  By the looks of her, I'm guessing Brie.  I imagine Sarah Paulson will portray Tom Hanks's wife, Tony Bradlee.

Regardless of who ends up where, this is a splendid cast.  It's almost impossible to not imagine or expect a SAG ensemble win for this group, particularly since there are so many speaking parts and characters intertwined.  All anchored by our girl, of course.  I couldn't be more please with this news.