Academy voters are already putting in their ballots for these two performances: Meryl Streep has signed on to play former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for director Phyllida Lloyd, who Streep worked with on Mamma Mia!, while Sean Penn has signed on the play Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, the patriarch of “surfing’s first family.” Streep’s film is called The Iron Lady, the script written by Abi Morgan, co-financed by Pathe and Film4 and described as a “story of a woman who smashed through the barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power, and is a surprising and insightful portrait of an extraordinary and complex woman.” [THR] Thatcher made as many enemies as she did friends (if not more), and was regarded by many to be brutal in her tactics and conservation decisions. Streep should destroy the role, appropriately.
As for Penn’s project, Alan and Gabe Polsky (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans) are producing, along with Penn himself, which will tell the Paskowitz story in feature form, as it has already been explored in the underrated doc Surfwise, directed by Doug Pray. Paskowitz, as portrayed in the doc, is an eccentric adventurer who eventually isolated his large family because of his high expectations for both success and freedom from convention from each of his children. As such, the majority of his kin struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with a man they consider to be a hypocrite. Paul Feldsher will pen the pic. [Variety]
Pathe plants to start shooting The Iron Lady at the end of this year.
In other biopic news, Peter Saarsgard will play bluegrass musician Bill Monroe in a film directed by Finn Taylor, written by Callie Khouri. Taylor’s most recent project was the strange fictionalization of The Darwin Awards, a Web site that “honors” those who die in ridiculous, unexpected ways. Khouri made a name for herself writing Thelma and Louise, then her directorial debut with Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. It’s no surprise, when considering this news, that Khouri is married to celebrated country musician T. Bone Burnett, who contributed music to last year’s Oscar winner Crazy Heart. [The Playlist]
This is apparently a passion project for Saarsgard, to the point that he came to Khouri to rewrite the script himself.
What do you think of this news? Are biopics worth all of this big name fuss?