Meryl takes on Callas in MASTER CLASS

Cool. Love Meryl but she seems to be in everything these days lol.

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Wow! She's going to be great in this.

I wonder who'll play Sharon

I understand why people sometimes feel a bit of Meryl fatigue when it comes to play-to-screen adaptations, but she is not only widely considered the greatest actress of her generation, she is undoubtable the biggest box office draw of actresses her age, and I begrudge no studio for wanting to sign her.

As for MASTER CLASS -- this is one instance in which I can't really think of anyone else who would be a better fit for the role, so count me excited. And Mike Nichols directing? Wowza.

But a hats off salut to Ms. Dunaway, who spent years trying to get the film made, but just wasn't able to make it happen.

And to answer questions about the rights -- clearly, Ms. Dunaway's option on the material expired, and even though there were reports that some footage had been filmed, obviously not enough to grant an extension on the material when her option was up.

Some sources cited Ms. Dunaway as saying that 2/3 of the film was finished, but I think if that were true (and the material shot were usable) Terrance McNally would have granted, even on good faith, an extension on their rights agreement to let her finish.

HBO seems to be picking up the mantle of late on long gestating screen adaptations (see THE NORMAL HEART). And for that I say good.

Updated On: 6/18/14 at 09:08 AM

"As for MASTER CLASS -- this is one instance in which I can't really think of anyone else who would be a better fit for the role, so count me excited. And Mike Nichols directing? Wowza."

I am excited as well, but I can't help being sorry that Tyne Daly wasn't doing it. She has the name that they would need. I guess because she might not handle the closeups well. Still, I thought her performance of the role on stage was perfect and I can't help but feel sorry that it won't be preserved for film.

Thank God for Bootlegs.

Updated On: 6/18/14 at 09:32 AM

So relieved Dunaway's not doing it. The only worse choice would have been Sean Young.

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Daly was wonderful but probably not a big enough name at this point to green light a film version.

I wonder if Dunaway be given a token producer credit on the project.

It would be amazing if she nabbed an Oscar nomination for this...considering it's on HBO.

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I think this is a role that's perfectly suited to Streep, and she makes fantastic work with Nichols. Can't wait to see this. And oh my God, they better not cast Emmy Rossum in this! That'd be terrible.

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"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The Inevitable Meryl. She'll trot out that Standard European Accent, slap on a wig and eyeliner, and snag yet another Oscar nomination. Enough already."

This says it all. What more can be said? At this point, I'd rather see Nathan Lane play it. At least Nathan would play it like a human being, and not the way Streep plays every role as if she is playing high art in the the-uh-tuh!

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Updated On: 6/18/14 at 10:11 AM

Yeah, I hadn't seen that it's being done on HBO. So she'll snag a bunch of TV awards just because she's MERYL STREEP and all -- same difference.

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MASTER CLASS, while a hugely entertaining showcase for an actress of a certain age is more or less silly, exploitive theatrical trash. Callas's real masterclasses at Julliard showed her to be exacting, insightful and hugely supportive to the students -- in other words, nothing like the almost pseudo-drag queen portrait of her in McNally's script. McNally's play is really just an excuse for a diva actress to chew scenery for two hours, and on that level it works.

Agree about the play. It has not aged well at all.

Love Meryl, but she's about as Mediterranean as a J. Crew catalogue.

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