HBO is finally confirming what’s been rumored for months: Oscar winner Kate Winslet will star in a five-hour miniseries adaptation of James M. Cain’s Depression-era novel Mildred Pierce.
Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) is on board to direct the project, which finds Winslet playing a proud, single mother struggling to earn her daughter’s love during the Great Depression in middle-class Los Angeles.
The 1945 film version of Mildred Pierce netted Joan Crawford an Academy Award. It’s safe to say HBO’s remake will score Winslet her first Emmy.
Shooting begins in April in New York.
PHOTO CREDIT: Rick Stephens/PR Photos
Er… I’ll watch this just so I’ll know what the frak is winning all the awards come the season.
Didn’t you do a story about this awhile ago, it sounds familiar. I’ll watch it, I was anything with Kate in it, she can do no wrong in my opinion.
They reported that she was in talks. Now they are confirming that she has officially signed on to do it.
Agreed. Anything with Kate is always brilliant and always catches attention. I’m so on board, she’s a beast.
That pic is the perfect one to compare her Crawford.
EGOTer? Can she sing?
yes…check out heavenly creatures
According to Wikipedia, she already has a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2000. She needs to hit the stage to complete her EGOT.
What’s an EGOT?
Charlie, EGOT is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony: all four major awards. Very few people are EGOT winners. I can think of a couple off the top of my head, including Whoopi Goldberg and Barbra Streisand.
Charlie, EGOT means Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.
Liza Minnelli might be considered another EGOT, although the Grammy is the weak point.
It’s funny because as soon as I saw this on the home page, I instantly thought that Winslet wants an EGOT…she’s already won the arguably most difficult one to get…I’ll bet by 2015 she’ll have it.
Wasn’t Rita Moreno the first EGOTer?
orville – Yes, she was.
Nope, Richard Rogers was
Which part of EGOT is she missing?
‘Can she sing’?
This woman can seriously sing. She had a single, for a movie, and it went number one on many countries and peaked #5 on the UK charts one year.
As the others has mentioned, she also sang on many of her movies. Sense&Sensibility and Heavenly Creatures showcase her talent in singing
Didn’t know she got a Grammy though, that’s interesting.
insert huge happy smile here.
Why? Seriously. The original was fine. H’Wood…get an ORIGINAL idea.
Also, doesn’t quite sound like Kate’s thing…no scenes require nudity so that she can embrace her “strength as an actress.”
Oh please, La Winslet will find a reason to disrobe…I’d bet a year’s salary that she has a “love” scene w/the actor playing her husband AND a love scene w/the actor playing Monte, the 2nd love interest.
Knowing her, she may ask for a lesbian love scene w/the actress playing her secretary.
LOTS of opportunities for her to do what she does best, soft – core porn.
What IS the salary of a bitter, middle-American prude these days?
Tom, just because someone’s opinion differs from yours doesn’t necessarily make them bitter or a prude. Do us all a favor and be tolerant of other people; that is what you preach after all, isn’t it?
Whatevs, it’s not about people having differing opinions. It’s about the two people above who found it necessary to disrespect Kate and to discredit her acting ability because of the fact that she has done some nude scenes in the past.
Dave, I don’t think that Tom calls people bitter and prude based on an attempt to discredit someone’s acting ability. What he has a problem with is their poking fun at the fact that she’s been naked in nearly all of her films.
The tone of those comments don’t say “poking fun” to me.
Absolutely, my favourite part of Sense & Sensibility was all the full frontal nudity. Who knew Jane Austen was so racy?
Yo Tom! What’s with the middle America hate? There are prudes all over the nation, it’s not geography dependent!
My guess is this guy is over 45 years old. Dude, every story ever told is a remake. From here on out, anyone suggesting that a re-make is pointless is just wrong. Shut up already, all of you.
Also, who dislikes Kate Winslet? Nudity? Do you mean the scene in Titanic? Like that appealed solely to prurient interests or something? Get a grip.
I love Kate, but she was naked A LOT in The Reader. But really, it wasn’t her idea.
Well, her affair with the boy was key to the story, and most people take their clothes off when they have sex, so what’s the problem? Seriously, I doubt anyone has every used The Reader as a masturbatory aid.
Pure Imagination – the source material is a book which means another adaptation is free game. My guess is the 1945 version played fast and loose with the source material – as most classic Hollywood fare did; they had to adhere to the production code, after all. So, keep your righteous indignation about Hollywood having no imagination to yourself.
I doubt, mjryan, that the SOURCE material had a detailed sex scene. Playing fast and loose is par for the course, but really, if you’ve HAD sex, you don’t need to keep watching actresses w/low self-esteem dry **** in EVERY movi.
Methinks you are just not getting enough yourself.
Pure Imagination – LOL You obviously have no imagination when it comes to insults.
One thing I am not is a prude. I find it absolutely HILARIOUS that America is okay w/gratuitous nudity, but does NOT respect a person who dares to DIFFER.
So what the “affair” was central to the them in the Reader? How about we find an actress who can ACT? A good “love/sex” scene can IMPLY…as most adults can INFER. I, and the og poster are not prudes simply because we don’t need to see soft core porn in EVERY movie. Winslet has admitted she was not the “cut” one growing up, frankly, I think she needs therapy to deal w/her self-esteem issues. You don’t need to PROVE you are a strong actress by disrobing…friggin’ ACT.
Perhaps you libertines need to stop being so judgmental?
Every opinion doesn’t have to agree with YOURS.
“cute”, not “cut”.
I like the movie, but it’s quite different from the book, adding a murder, significantly lessening Mildred’s semi-incestuous feelings for her daughter….I think there’s definitely room for another version.
Bad queen! Joan Crawford only has one Oscar.
TODD HAYNES, KATE, MINI-SERIES? I’M IN.
Word.
Same.
Any word on who will be playing Ida? Eve Arden was fabulous in the original (and pretty much everything else).
I think that they should just use a CGI Eve Arden, the same way that they put Marlon Brando in “Superman Returns.”
I don’t know, but I think Emma Watson would make a good Veda, the oldest daughter. Brown University isn’t far from New York and Emma is the right age and she actually looks like Kate Winslet.
The BBC remakes classic novels all the time, and each one is unique and entertaining in their own right. I see nothing wrong with turning the book into a miniseries, especially since it’s going back to the original source material AND it’s going to be longer and more in depth. And with Todd Haynes directing, it’s a surefire winner. I could only wish more networks would follow suit and nab five-star talent for a television mini; it’s what the British television does on a regular basis. *sigh*
.. not if Clare Danes in the exquisite Temple Grandin has anything to say about it.
Agreed. She gave a great performance.
MP won’t probably premiere until sometime next year. So Danes doesn’t have anyone to worry about as she sweeps.
Love Kate Winslet. She can do no wrong in my book. I’m sure she’ll be brilliant- she always gives fantastic performances.
I’m already calling it. She will win an Emmy, Golden Globe, and maybe a SAG for this role.
I’m calling a horserace between Winslet and Danes. Should be loads of fun.
LOL at all those Emmy predictions. Hod your horses, Kate W. hasn’t even shot a single scene yet.
I like her acting, but wonder whether she isn’t a bit too young for the role. Maybe they will go with an older actress for Ida?
No, no. She’s got it.
Sounds great but why New York when it’s such an LA story?
If remakes “shouldnt be allowed”, then no more Shakespere or other classics.