The Playlist is reporting some pretty great news, in my opinion, Michelle Williams is planning to take the lead role in Noah Baumbach‘s The Emperor’s Children, his adaptation of Claire Messud‘s 2006 novel. Other noteworthy actors, including Keira Knightley, Eric Bana, and Richard Gere, have also recently joined the project. Brian Glazer and Ron Howard, who were originally slated to bring Baumbach‘s script to life, will most likely stick with producing credits.
The film, set in post-9/11 New York, will track a group of Ivy League graduates who approach their 30’s having not quite reached the lofty aspirations they had for themselves during their college days. This storyline will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Baumbach’s 1995 debut Kicking and Screaming, which followed a handful of people struggling to deal with post-college life.
The report suggests that filming could start as early as this summer; however, it is worth noting that Baumbach also has Mr. Popper’s Penguins, starring Ben Stiller, in early development, which could take precedence if difficulties arise. Baumbach of course directed Stiller in what might be his best performance in this year’s Greenberg.
I for one would be delighted to see Williams join this project, and hopefully her reputation will continue to grow along with it. As far as this year goes, she stars in Derek Cianfrance‘s highly-buzzed Sundance romance Blue Valentine, for which Williams and co-star Ryan Gosling have received enormous praise.
Would you like to see Williams work with Baumbach? What do you think of the writer-director’s future potential?