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! 

Looking ahead in 2026

Happy New Year, everyone! I thought I'd pause my watching of Heated Rivalry on a loop for a few minutes to prognosticate a bit on what we might expect to see from Meryl in 2026. 

Let's do a brief recap. The only real thing we've seen from her in four years is a supporting role on Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. She did Emmy and Globe nominations for the first season of it she was in (and won a Critics' Choice Award), but other than that, it has been pretty barren for us Streepers. That all changed last summer when she began shooting The Devil Wears Prada 2. The release date is May 1, so even if nothing else happens with other projects, we have that to look forward to exactly four months from today. 

But I want the other projects too! This fall it was announced that she would star alongside Sigourney Weaver in Joseph Cedar's Useful Idiots. Signs were pointing to an early 2026 shooting schedule, but we haven't had any updates since November. The role is a lead one and the film itself sounds interesting, so I really hope that comes together. Rumors have swirled for a while about Meryl portraying an older version of Joni Mitchell in a biopic directed by Cameron Crowe. Without confirming any casting, Crowe confirmed that he was expecting to begin shooting that film sometime in 2026. Meryl's name has been removed from the IMDb page for Greta Gerwig's Narnia film. I don't even think Meryl was officially confirmed for that anyway. And there's always The Corrections, which we've heard nothing about since it was announced as being optioned for (another try at) a limited series way back in September of 2024. 

I could see this year being as straightforward as Meryl filming a couple of episodes of Only Murders and then doing a bunch of press for Prada in the spring, to her doing all of the above projects within a ten-month period. If Useful Idiots gets off the ground, I feel like it wouldn't be a super long shoot. Same with the Mitchell biopic. If the Corrections happened, I would imagine that filming late fall or winter, considering it's meant to take place leading up to Christmastime. I hope all these projects happen. 

A key factor could be the box office success of Prada 2. If that movie does super well in theaters, which it definitely has the potential to do, that could open a lot of pockets for funding/greenlighting projects for Meryl. It might, for example, get a streaming service to sign on to The Corrections. And just like it did after the first Prada twenty years ago, where Meryl was "besieged with offers," to a likely somewhat lesser degree, Meryl might find herself with a bounty of opportunities, should she choose to say yes to them. This is what I really hope happens. 

No matter what additional projects she joins in the near or far future, we'll get to revisit an iconic character this spring. And if the movie is good enough, there's a narrative for Meryl to break he own record and score a 22nd Oscar nomination for reprising Miranda Priestly. 

Will Streep star in a 2025 Blacklist script?

Most years, when the Hollywood Blacklist of "most-liked" unproduced scripts comes out in December I scan the titles to see if any of the taglines suggest that they could star Meryl. Not many do, but usually I can find one that seems plausible, at least from the one to two sentence description. I can remember reading a version of Nyad a decade ago and imagining Meryl taking on that role. Then of course there was The Post, which only a few months after being on the Blacklist was in production with Meryl and released later that year. 

One script from this year's list caught my eye. I'll be honest I didn't read every single tagline because after the first twenty or so how good is the script really expected to be? But Joe Ferran's Leverage, with 23 mentions (which had it tied for seventh with number-one having 46 mentions) made me wonder if the main character referenced could be of an age suitable for Meryl:

After a high-profile murder threatens a multi-billion dollar hostile takeover, an embattled Wall Street titan emerges as the prime suspect and must win a war of perception in order to protect her empire at all costs.

Age (and gender of course) are two high hurdles these days for scripts that might suit Meryl. An "embattled Wall Street titan" doesn't exactly strike me as someone in their thirties or forties. I like the idea  of it maybe being a bit of a thriller or perhaps a bit political. I also like that the main character is a suspect for murder. It's an interesting twist that I don't think we've seen Meryl navigate. I wonder a little bit if it's a little too close to a Miranda Priestly-like ball busting role, but I imagine that it wouldn't have to be. 

I happened to notice that there were a handful of scripts that seemed to center on billionaires. None of them suggest a particularly flattering depiction of said characters, not that they're historically considered pillars of high moral standards. But I wonder if it's a bit of the sign of the times, with the current occupant of our White House and the "affordability" crisis looming so largely in people's minds, the stories in these scripts may showcase these ever-increasing large gaps in wealth among the American electorate. 

Speaking of corruption and stories of rich magnates, there was news yesterday of Sigourney Weaver being in talks to join Amazon's live-action Tomb Raider series. It's apparently got a filming start date of January 19. A commenter on Word on the Streep suggested that with Weaver joining this project that Useful Idiots is to be either postponed or scrapped completely. While that could certainly be the case, I'm not sure this news automatically indicates that 1) Weaver has dropped out of Useful Idiots, 2) she couldn't film both in a short period of time, particularly if one or both of her roles are relatively small, and 3) Useful Idiots is doomed. Weaver had said in a recent interview that she was filming the movie with Meryl in early 2026. The trades recently confirmed it, and it's got a solid director attached. It seemed so prime for production, but it's easy to remember how the news for The Great Lillian Hall (originally entitled Places, Please) was announced in February 2021, with an expected filming start slated for that summer. Of course Meryl never starred in that film, and it lay dormant for two years before Jessica Lange took over the role and it moved to TV for a spring '24 release. 

I sure hope it still happens! But now my pessimistic brain has me worried. What do you guys think?