Happy 77th, Meryl!

Meryl turns 77 today. It's interesting to me that I started this blog following a string of major successes in her late 50s, carrying into her Oscar-winning performance of The Iron Lady, which she filmed when she was 61. For the most part, she's carried on with wonderful performances and roles. And despite a bit of a dry spell the last few years, we Streepers have been lucky to see the astonishing global reach of the The Devil Wears Prada 2, and a handful of (hopefully) fun and interesting projects in the pipeline. 

Here's hoping she's having a great day and that she remains happy and healthy. Salut! 

"The Devil Wears Prada" surpasses $1 billion as a franchise

In its seventh week in theaters, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has now racked up $676 million worldwide. This total, combined with the original form 2006, brings the franchise's global box office above $1 billion. Not too shabby for two movies released twenty years apart and whose audience is primarily made up of women. 

Prada 2 will continue to make money. I'm thrilled it's doing well in theaters. It can only bolster any possibility of Meryl's projects getting greenlit and distributed. She's a bankable star well into her 70s. I'm not sure we've seen a woman in the history of cinema do this well for this long, particularly when we consider both Meryl's critics' adulation and box-office clout, the latter of which she didn't really have a ton of until Prada 1. Her movies were often received well by critics (and her performances especially), but they rarely made a lot of money. 

Now let's hope we can continue to get projects that combine both great strories/characters with an audience interested in seeing them!

"Useful Idiots" a no-go

Thank you to Anonymous for sharing this info. 

In an interview with Spanish-language newspaper, El País, late last month, Sigourney Weaver was specifically asked about Useful Idiots and whether or not she was indeed going to make the film with Meryl. Her response:

Unfortunately, it's not going to happen. But hopefully we'll have another chance. 

I take that to mean that specifically, Useful Idiots is not going to happen (at least not with the two of them), but that she hopes she'll have another/different chance to work with Meryl. 

At least we know now. The movie, set to be directed by Joseph Cedar, was apparently set for filming this past winter. That time came and went without anything happening. Hard to know why for sure. This is not a new situation with Meryl (or any actor, for that matter). Projects are announced, directors are attached, maybe even a co-star or two are mentioned as being "in-talks" or are actually signed. And then nothing. Knowing that it was rumored to film in Canada starting in March, and that Martin Short's daughter passed away in February, maybe Meryl simply dropped out to be able to spend time with him. That seems reasonable and plausible. Maybe the financing just never fully got together, but for some reason I kind of doubt that, knowing the way Weaver had been quoted last fall about them doing the movie in early 2026. 

Oh well. I'm optimistic about The Corrections getting underway in the fall. It'll be exciting to get some casting news hopefully soon. No idea on whether or not the Joni Mitchell biopic will move forward. In theory, I imagine Meryl could squeeze that in from August through October, but I feel we would've heard more of that by now. Cameron Crowe had been quoted last fall that he planned to film it in 2026. As I often say, time will tell. That project I think would still be viable if they waited until 2027 to film. 

Season 6 of "Only Murders in the Building" adds seven to cast

Multiple sources are reporting that Hulu's Only Murders in the Building has added seven new guest stars to it's upcoming sixth season. I'll let everyone click on the link if they want to read all the names, but the only two I recognized were Jennifer Saunders and Simone Ashley. I'm a big fan of Absolutely Fabulous, so the prospect of having Saunders in something alongside Meryl is thrilling. We of course have no idea if the two will share any scenes, but one can hope. 

The show is currently filming in the U.K. Streep has of course been spotted with her beau, Martin Short, in London, and while there's no guarantee Meryl is part of the new season, it stands to reason that her character Loretta makes at least an appearance or two. 

Ashley was recently seen as Miranda Priestly's assistant in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which, by the way has earned nearly $664 million at the worldwide box office. 

No official word on when we'll get to see season 6, but my guess is it'll be around October. 

Jennifer Saunders

"The Corrections" reportedly set to film in November

"What's on Netflix" is reporting that The Corrections is set to film in November.  Not a lot of new info, but the report came from Production Weekly, which included a detailed synopsis: 

 After almost 50 years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert (Streep) is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson’s disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. The oldest, Gary, a once-stable portfolio manager and family man, is trying to convince his wife and himself, despite clear signs to the contrary, that he is not clinically depressed. The middle child, Chip, has lost his seemingly secure academic job and is failing spectacularly at his new line of work. And Denise, the youngest, has escaped a disastrous marriage only to pour her youth and beauty down the drain on an affair with a married man – or so her mother fears. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to. Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home. Stretching from the Midwest at midcentury to the Wall Street and Eastern Europe of today, The Corrections brings an old-fashioned world of civic virtue and sexual inhibitions into violent collision with the era of home surveillance, hands-off parenting, do-it-yourself mental health care, and globalized greed.

If this news is true (not a lot of reason to expect it's not), great to see that it's moving forward!  And of course very interested to learn of casting news sooner than later. Curious to see if Meryl somehow squeezes in the Joni Mitchell biopic before.  I'm guessing not.  

Streep and Short spotted in London suggests filming of newest season of "Only Murders in the Building" underway

Meryl Streep and Martin Short were photographed at a restaurant in London very recently. Not much more to say than what the headline suggests. We know that the two are (likely) a couple, and that the sixth and upcoming season of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building is set to take place at least partly in London this year. Thus, it makes sense that they're in London for the time being to shoot! 

No official word that I've seen, but it makes sense that they'd film for a couple months with the season coming out later this year. That would a bit of a quicker turnaround than in recent seasons, as they've usually filmed earlier in the year with the season being released fourth quarter. Maybe they'll push this season's release to early 2027. I honestly could barely care less. The best of the show seems like it's behind us, and I would love to see Meryl in new projects. 

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" surges to $233 million international haul in opening weekend

Multiple sources are reporting that The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened to an impressive $77 million domestic box office total. Couple that with another $156 million internationally, and the film is already at $233 million. Evidently 75% of the moviegoers were female. My guess was that another 20% were gay men. Regardless of who it was, the movie made a very impressive total by any standard, much less for one essentially led by women, and in particular one woman who is almost 77. 

This was Meryl's biggest movie opening of her career. That's exciting! And as I've mentioned a handful of times before, I hope it just bolsters future projects for her, assuming they're out there and that she's interested. We'll keep our eyes peeled each week to see if the sky is the limit for Prada's box office numbers. I imagine Mother's Day coming up this weekend is a natural boost for ladies to swing by a theater together. 

"Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" pushed to 2027

A couple of days ago, Netflix announced that they are pushing Greta Gerwig's upcoming Narnia film to 2027.  A lot of details came out of the announcement, including that the official title is Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. The Magician's Nephew was the sixth of seven books in C.S. Lewis's Narnia series, and it serves as a prequel to the events of all the others. Meryl name was officially included in the cast list, and the project is now listed under her "credits" tag on her IMDbPro page. 

They're also doing a wide theatrical release, opening on February 12, with it being made available to stream on Netflix on April 2. The book's tagline from the article:

The book is set a 1,000 years before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and focuses on the lion Aslan's creation of the magical world of Narnia.

Previous reports have suggested that Meryl is in fact Aslan. A lot of people are very skeptical about Streep in any way being the character is Aslan, presumably because it's historically written as a male (and a male lion, at that). But if Gerwig is doing it "her way," and if the C.S. Lewis Estate is on board in producing, I can't imagine it's going to be something so out of left field so as to alienate fans of the books. Time will tell, as always. Knowing that the character is a lion, we don't know if we'll even see Meryl as herself in the movie, or if it'll be a voice-only performance. If that latter is the case, I'm much less interested, although I'll still see it. It would be cool if we actually get to see her act in the film.  

I suspect that this is going to be another big box-office draw, and knowing that it's now opening in early 2027, it spreads things out nicely. Maybe we'll get a teaser this summer and we'll get a better sense of what Meryl's participation will look like. In the meantime, I might read the book. 

Greta Gerwig (and the head of a lion ha)

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" projected to earn $180 million worldwide in weekend opening

Deadline is reporting that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is on track to earn upwards of $180 million worldwide in its opening weekend. Domestic predictions put it at $73-80 million. That's a lot of money, and while it's a sequel, it's rather staggering for a leading lady who will turn 77 in two months. 

I hate to harp on the age thing, but it really is remarkable. Not unlike the somewhat unexpected success of the original movie back in 2006, we just don't see female-driven films as consistently at the top of the box office, much less those led by women over 55. Also like the last film, I hope that the financial and possibly critical success of the sequel (the review embargo is lifted later today) will, as director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) was quoted as saying, will render Meryl "besieged with offers." 

The scripts for which she could realistically star are likely fewer than twenty years ago, but maybe not. Perhaps some of them are just sitting in a drawer somewhere waiting to be green-lit when the right star decides to lend her box-office clout to the project. It's exciting to look forward to that possibility. Because like you all know, I most enjoy when we get to see Meryl in new and complex roles. 

Americans can already see the movie tomorrow (April 30). Due to my own personal schedule, I'll be attending "opening night" on Friday. Expect my review to be posted by the next morning. 

Happy watching!

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" premieres in New York City

Meryl was in attendance for the world premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 at Lincoln Center in New York City tonight. 

She was of course joined by other members of the cast, in particular the three other mains of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. 

The whole crew looks great, although Blunt's dress is a little out there for me. I was actually able to watch a bit of the red carpet on Disney+. It was nice to be able to start it late and fast forward through a bunch of fluff. Red carpet interviews are always so tedious. 

I think there is a review embargo for the movie in place until maybe next Wednesday. But maybe we'll gets some "reactions" on Twitter, for example, even if they're not full-on reviews. It'll be nice just to get some minor feedback on how the sequel holds up. 

The press tour has been far more extensive than I thought it would be, as far as Meryl's participation is concerned. They started in Mexico City, went to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, now New York, will be headed to London next and then L.A. Meryl said in an interview today that she'll be in a body bag by the time it's all done. They're really pushing this hard, and I hope it pays off at the box office. Of course I already have plans to see it opening night on May 1. Can't wait!

Final trailer for "The Devil Wears Prada 2"

20th Century Fox has released the final trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2:

I realize they don't want to give away the plot too much, but we did get a little more sense of what the thrust of the movie is. Miranda/Runway has a scandal, Andy is brought in to help cover it up in some way, and her friends urge her to write a sort of tell-all exposé on her. They're cutting so many clips into the trailer that it's a little tough to tell how good this is going to be as an actual movie. Of course they have to include some throwbacks to the original movie, but that can only be interesting to a limited degree. Emily seems the most like her original character. Miranda seems more open or light in some way. Hard to put a finger on exactly. They did seem to show quite a bit more of Anne Hathaway in this final trailer as well. 

I maintain that Meryl would not have been particularly interested in revisiting this character and world had the script not at least been decent. We'll never going to fully know until we see it, which is only in three and a half weeks! I really hope this isn't a huge disappointment. I'm counting on the movie being a boost to Meryl's upcoming project opportunities. I think as long as it's not complete shit there is enough good will carrying over from how popular the first film was for people to get their butts into the theater at least one or two times. Can't wait! 

Netflix picks up "The Corrections"

I am actually kind of shocked to see this news today. Of all the projects in the pipeline for Meryl (The Corrections, Useful Idiots, the Joni Mitchell biopic, Mamma Mia! 3), I would've guessed that The Corrections was the most likely to have fallen by the wayside. We have heard zero about it since it was first announced with Meryl being attached way back in September of 2024. Until today. 

Netflix has announced that they have picked up the series, with Cord Jefferson (director and writer of American Fiction, which won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay) attached to direct all episodes. As previously announced, author Jonathan Franzen is penning the script based on his 2001 best-selling novel. Streep is listed as one of the executive producers, which is unusual for her. With the announcement of a streamer being attached, as well as a director, this is about as close as it gets to being a sure thing until we actually see pics of her on set. 

It's interesting that Netflix is making a concerted push to produce "prestige projects." Their new VP, Nora Skinner (who came over from HBO in 2024), has apparently been deliberately focusing on this type of project acquisition for the streamer. The next thing to watch for is casting updates! 

If I were to guess, I would think filming for this would be late fall or early 2027, as much of the story takes place around the Christmas holidays.

Story tagline from Deadline:

Based on Franzen’s National Book Award-winning novel, The Corrections is a sharply comic portrait of a Midwestern family whose three unmoored adult siblings desperately resist their mother’s wish for one last Christmas together – each undone by the delusional ambitions that were supposed to save them from becoming their parents.

Streep and Hathaway begin worldwide press tour for "The Devil Wears Prada 2"

It was perhaps a bit dumb of me to think that Meryl wasn't going to do like weeks and weeks of promotion for the upcoming Devil Wears Prada sequel. I had in my mind that she'd do some press junkets and a handful of talk shows in the U.S. in the week or two leading up to its May 1 wide release. As if this isn't like one of the biggest (if not the biggest) movie events of the year. How wrong I was. 

Meryl and her co-star Anne Hathway began what is going to be a month-long whirlwind of press and premieres in Mexico City yesterday. They follow that with Seoul, Shanghai, New York and London. I don't know if Meryl's ever done that global of a campaign before. I know she was in Japan for Mamma Mia!, but she's also never quite been in a position where is quite this much anticipation for a film, due to the original's iconic status in popular culture at this point. Already people are talking about the fashion and how great Meryl looks. I have to agree, particularly as a healthcare provider who works daily with patients over 75. It's remarkable to me how good Meryl's posture is, how youthful her gait pattern is, and how adeptly she seems to be able to navigate wearing heels. That's pretty rare for someone who turns 77 in two months. 

Of course, with the month of April likely filled with responsibilities for the promotion of Prada, Useful Idiots never got underway. I'm getting pretty pessimistic about at this point. Sigourney Weaver, who was cast alongside Meryl had been quoted as saying they were making it in the beginning of 2026. That window has passed. I suppose they could commence filming in May after Streep is done with the Prada tour. Things could get tight if the Joni Mitchell biopic comes to fruition and Cameron Crowe wants to film this year as well. But I could see that starting late summer or early fall. And then there's also Big Little Lies season 3, which could start anywhere from this fall to early 2027 (and while it seems to me that 2027 might be more likely I have to admit my prediction have been poor as of late so it's anyone's guess at this point). The Corrections is probably dead at this point, but again, who knows? What a wonderful problem to have when there are all these announced projects and we're wondering when Meryl might be able to fit them in! I just would really like her to star in a couple of new/original projects soon, which is why I'm pining for Idiots/Joni/Corrections.  

Time will tell. Until then, enjoy these stills of the beautiful co-stars on their press tour. 

Streep likely to feature in season 3 of "Big Little Lies"

Author Liane Moriarty's follow-up novel to Big Little Lies, entitled Big Little Truths, is scheduled for publication this August. In a new article from Variety, we learn more details of the plot of the novel, which is to serve as the template for the upcoming third season of the HBO show. It was announced last fall that a third season was greenlit, and that the story would jump ahead ten years. All the kids will be in high school now, with a new set of problems for themselves and, of course, their doting parents. 

In the article, a partial synopsis of the story specifically includes Meryl's character from season 2, that of Mary Louise, the mother of Alexander Skarsgård's character, who of course was killed at the end of season 1 (spoiler, but seriously how have you not already seen this show?):

Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly — is it old-age forgetfulness and forthrightness, or something more sinister?

So we know that Mary Louise is in the book, and therefore highly likely to be included in the script. I have a feeling that Moriarty, considering she wrote the character of Mary Louise specifically for Meryl (who's real first name is Mary Louise as we all know), wouldn't have included Mary Louise in the new book if it hadn't already been worked out that Meryl would be willing to reprise the role in a third and (likely) final season. 

If they want this to actually be released exactly ten years prior to the first season, it will have to be ready by the end of 2027. That suggests that filming likely needs to get underway by the end of this year, maybe early 2027. It's a nice problem these days to have Meryl's name mentioned in so many possible upcoming projects. I'm not a huge fan that four of them are sort of repeats (Prada 2, Big Little Lies, a potentially third installment of Mamma Mia!, and yet another tedious season of Only Murders in the Building). Which is why I'm so interested in whether or not original projects like Useful Idiots (possibly filming this month??), the Joni Mitchell biopic, and The Corrections will get off the ground. The Gisèle Pelicot role might be a far-fetched rumor, but holy cow would that be a character to unpack.  

I'm just glad there's some reasonable likelihood that we'll see Meryl on screen over the next two years. Hopefully a couple of them will carry with them a bit more meat than a simple rehashing of well-known characters. I suspect Mery may be hungry for that. 

P.S. People who read this blog probably notice that I generally don't care too much about Meryl's voice projects. And it has perhaps been remiss of me to not post anything about the success of the animated film Hoppers. It's got a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic, and has already made $177 millinon in just two weeks in the theaters. There was also a recent article in which Emma Mackey, who's starring in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Narnia film (Narnia: The Magician's Nephew), gives an interview for an Italian magazine and suggests that Meryl is indeed involved in the project. All reports have only ever suggested that her role would be voicing the lion Aslan. There was buzz that after delays that it was possible that Streep wasn't necessarily attached anymore. I honestly didn't pay that close of attention to it, as I couldn't have really cared less whether or not Meryl participated. But this seems to suggest pretty strongly that she is indeed involved. The Narnia film is scheduled for a theatrical release on November 26 of this year, after which it will be released on Netflix on Christmas Day. 

New trailer for "The Devil Wears Prada 2"

They've released a second trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Miranda looks a little more Miranda-like in this second trailer. Less of that "I can't remember you" stuff that made many of us wonder if there was some kind of dementia angle going on. A few snarky one-liners that is much more in line with what we know of her character from the original.

Not a lot of new content that tells us more about the story. Meryl looks amazing in all her looks. We also got a quick glimpse of Kenneth Branagh, who player her husband in the film. Tickets are already going on sale for May 1, which is coming up soon! 

Streep rumored to be in talks to portray Gisèle Pelicot in TV series

The French news magazine Marianne revealed this morning that Meryl is in talks to star in a TV adaptation of Gisèle Pelicot's memoir Et la joie de vivre (the English translation version has the title A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides). Her name was only vaguely familiar to me, and when I looked her up, I realized I was completely ignorant her her story. 

Pelicot came into the news in 2024 when she waived anonymity during a trial against her husband and other men for systematically raping her over the course of several years while she was drugged. She has since become a feminist icon in her native France and abroad. 

From the limited info we have, this is in very early stages, as Pelicot's memoir was only released this month. Some of the online comments I've read on this news are not particularly supportive of a screen adaptation of Pelicot's story, voicing concern over sensationalizing what was not doubt a horrific and traumatic experience. I can't imagine, however, that any adaptation could happen without Pelicot's consent. She would have to sell the rights to the adaptation, and I expect that it it's being developed in the United States, that Meryl Streep would be a name that would draw attention. And this is the kind of role that Meryl tends to be drawn to, with it's real-world implications and focus on drawing attention to stories or causes she feels are important to showcase.  

If we consider logistics of this actually coming to fruition, if the book was just released, I suspect that the script is not even done or possibly not even started. Were it to be developed quickly, maybe this would be ready for filming at the end of 2026. But I tend to think this wouldn't go into production until well into 2027. It's a nice problem to have if we're now worried about when Meryl is going to fill in all her announced projects. Will Useful Idiots indeed start filming next month (I couldn't help but wonder how that could be affected by the untimely and tragic death of Streep's close friend, Martin Short's daughter this week)? Will the Joni Mitchell project start this summer? This fall? Will The Corrections suffer its third production debacle and still not see the light of day? The latter project would seem to fit a scheduling timeline for filming end of this year, which would bring us to two years after Meryl's participation was announced. I still would really love that to happen. 

All other considerations aside, I imagine that if the Pelicot project does eventually happen, that we'll hear Meryl doing a French accent. Although I suspect that most of the action would be in France where they would probably just be speaking French. But I'm sure they'll want it to seem French and not just have everyone speaking in American accents. I'm such a sucker for hearing Meryl change her voice. And of course, her look. 

"Mamma Mia! 3" confirmed?

Deadline shared an article this morning with a quote from NBCUniversal Chairman Donna Langley, saying at the BAFTA's today that "there will be a Mamma Mia! 3." Adding that she and the producer of the original musical, Judy Craymer, are "talking about it," and "If Meryl Streep would like to come back, we'll find a way to bring her back."

Of course, there have been buzzings about a threequel for years now. But this is the most definitive info or quote I've seen or read about it. My guess is that yes, it's going to happen. The only question remains is whether or not Meryl wants to join, and if she does, what that would look like. She had a very minor role in the 2018 sequel, and as we know, was...dead. So the "way to bring her back" has to be centered around how the character of Donna could be featured, or if there would be some twin thing. Who knows. Regardless, if Meryl passed on this I would not be disappointed. One fun thing is that if this were to get going, it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider a 2027 filming schedule, which would have all three films released ten years apart. 

More to come I imagine. 

First full trailer released for "The Devil Wears Prada 2"

The first full trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was just released:

There's not a lot we can glean from this in regard to the story. If you weren't already familiar with the original I feel like someone would have absolutely no idea what this movie is about. But I imagine that's sort of what they're banking on, knowing that people appetites for this film are strong and all they/we really want is to them all together. 

All the actors look great, their clothes of course, particularly Miranda's, look stunning. Meryl looks great, if really thin. Of course it was sort of the character, but in your 70s, it can look a little harsh. It was also a little weird how Miranda apparently didn't remember Andrea. I guess it's supposed to read as she never thought about Andrea after she left twenty years ago, but it comes across almost like she's a bit ditzy. I know it's just a trailer, and they'll probably release a second one that might be a bit more serious or give us a sense of the plot. Miranda just seems far less imposing than in the first. And maybe the character is! Maybe she's on the defensive or feels her position is not as it used to be and her confidence and presence are dimmed. 

I'll have to let this percolate for a while and give it a few more watches. Regardless, I can't imagine this film isn't going to do huge numbers at the box office, and it's just great to see Meryl in something big again!

Rolling Stone confirms Streep's participation in Joni Mitchell biopic (and some new set pics from TDWP2)

Rolling Stone is reporting that music producer Clive Davis confirmed Meryl's casting in an upcoming Joni Mitchell biopic to be directed by Cameron Crowe. From the article:

During the annual party held at the Beverly Hilton, Davis was introducing some of the A-listers in attendance and landed on Mitchell, who he said would be portrayed by Streep in Cameron Crowe’s long-in-the-works biopic. Rumors about Streep’s casting first surfaced in July 2024, with the Oscar-winning actress playing an older version of Mitchell in the film, while Anya Taylor-Joy was later rumored to portray the singer in her younger days; Taylor-Joy’s casting has still not been confirmed. When reached for comment, Crowe referred Rolling Stone to Davis’ announcement. Reps for Streep and Mitchell did not reply to a request for comment.

On their own, Davis's words might just be part of the rumor mill. But what strikes me is that Crowe was not only reached for comment, but said that he referred Rolling Stone back to Davis's announcement, which, to me, essentially means he's not only not denying it, but affirming it. Crowe seemed pretty confident in an interview last year when he said he was going to "do it next year" (meaning film it in 2026). And there was that coy response from Anya-Taylor Joy about her participation last fall as well. I'll look forward to additional and possibly even more solid confirmation, however. 

In other news, Vogue released a handful of "first look" stills from the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada sequel. And damn, Meryl look good. 

"Useful Idiots" rumored to begin filming in Toronto in March

The timing of his headline is coincidental, as just yesterday I was feeling pessimistic about Useful Idiots, having had so little news about it since November. This morning TheCinemaholic released an article stating that filming was slated to begin in Toronto in March. 

I was happy to see any news, but I'm cautious due to the source. I'm not super familiar with these guys, but the bit of sleuthing I did did not suggest that they were total crackpots who simply spew rumors. But they're not Deadline, or Variety, or The Hollywood Reported, either. A couple of things make me think there's something to this. One, it's specific to Toronto. Films that take place in New York are often filmed in Toronto as a stand-in because it's cheaper. The March start time fall in line with Sigourney Weaver having previously been quoted as saying she's playing Meryl's best friend in a movie that will film at the beginning of 2026. March is still first quarter, AND it's possible that they could get going before that, too. 

If it does end up starting in March, and if it's a six to ten-week shoot, I imagine that would get a little tricky with the likely press Meryl will do leading up to the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 on May 1. But I suspect that they're pros and coordinating schedules, and that Meryl and her team can coordinate times or even a contract that would carve out the necessary time she might need for promotion. Sometimes those interviews are done back to back with many journalists from many outlets sort of just coming in one after another to get their sound bites. So, the promotional aspect as a conflict doesn't seem like a huge factor to me. 

I'll look forward to one of the big trades confirming start dates, and of course additional casting news. The further out this goes as far as a filming date, the less likely I see it as a possibility that it would be released in 2026. From looking into Joseph Cedar's other film projects, he seems to often film early in the year, takes quite a while in post, and releases the following calendar year. I wouldn't mind that so much. More to look forward to!