Here's one you may have forgotten about. A few years ago Reese Witherspoon was developing a biopic on jazz singer/songwriter Peggy Lee, with Nora Ephron set to direct. Ephron's unfortunate passing put the project in limbo, but it looks like Witherspoon has been working hard behind the scenes to get her passion project moving again. While in Toronto where she's receiving some incredible reviews for her performance in Wild, Witherspoon took to the stage and revealed the Peggy Lee film is back on with a director in Todd Haynes.
Haynes knows his way around musical biopics having mad his name on Velvet Goldmine, a film focused on the 1970s glam rock era. He also directed the offbeat Bob Dylan biopic, I'm Not There, which featured a wide cast (including Cate Blanchett) as the performer. So it will be interesting to see what approach he takes in chronicle Lee's 60-year career that saw the North Dakota girl rise to the top of the charts. And this is obviously familiar ground for Witherspoon after winning an Oscar for playing June Carter Cash in Walk the Line.
Haynes' next film is the Patricia Highsmith adaptation, Carol, starring Blanchett and Rooney Mara. More importantly, this is another high note for Witherspoon who is in the midst of a serious comeback.
