“August: Osage County” premiered at the AFI Fest on Friday. While Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were absent, producers George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and most of the ensemble players attended the festival. The reviews so far focus on the film’s Oscar buzz (and how Meryl and Julia should both be considered as co-leads), but here are some writings that focus on the film. “August: Osage County” releases US theaters on December 25, 2013.

Bob Strauss writes for the Los Angeles Daily News: “All of Streep’s formidable technique, thunderous power and her lightning bolt precise emotional range is deployed in long, delectably disturbing doses as the raging matriarch of a deeply dysfunctional Oklahoma clan. Addicted to painkillers and a life’s worth of resentments, Violet also suffers from mouth cancer — and boy, does she take every advantage of that metaphor she can. The woman says the most awful things to her children, their significant others and briefly-glimpsed husband (Sam Shepard). “I’m just telling the truth” is this mad grandma’s — who could eat Johnny Knoxville for lunch — repeated refrain. The most infuriating, as well as interesting, thing about Violet is that she’s right; nasty and narcotized as her statements can be, they draw real blood because they’re so honest. And so funny.” The Wrap praised Margo Martindale and wrote, “to get the most enjoyment out of “August,” it’s best to think of it less as an adaptation of a Tony Award– and Pulitzer Prize-winning play or as a screen adaptation of playwright Tracy Letts and more like an all-star opportunity for bad behavior, shocking revelations and even a cat fight.”

A first in-depth report from the London press conference for “August: Osage County” has been published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and features a lot of interesting quotes by Meryl on both “August” and “Into the Woods”, which was filmed at the time of the conference in London. Filming “Into the Woods” in London and promoting “August: Osage County” was putting Meryl Streep in two conflicting moods. “I feel like I should have two heads because I’m so into this music, place, magic that’s ‘Into the Woods,’” said the world’s preeminent actress with a lilt in her voice, exulting in her experience so far in playing The Witch in director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical. She is dressed all in black for this early evening interview at The May Fair Hotel in London. In “August,” coincidentally another adaptation of a play (by Tracy Letts who won a Pulitzer Prize for this), Meryl plays Violet Weston, the acid-tongued, pill-popping matriarch of a bickering family in Oklahoma.

The reason I did [August] was that a very dear friend said to me, ‘You had a great mother. She gave you your appetite for experience, curiosity, sense of humor. Your mother sang in the kitchen and mine hit me. Your mother made you feel you could do anything. Mine made me feel like I couldn’t do anything. You have to do this for me and for all the girls like me who had bad mothers, who made it in spite of that, who got out, and for all the ones who didn’t and to let them know it’s OK to leave that behind.’ She really made a case. I thought, OK, because when you’re a young actor, you think, oh yeah, it’ll be so cool to imagine having cancer and what’s it like to be close to death and then your family hates you…I really want to take that all on.

Meryl also talks about the character of The Witch in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”.

The metamorphosis in ‘Into the Woods’ is [of] a witch who sets the whole machinery of impossible tasks in motion so she can have her wish, which is to not be ugly. Her mother put a curse on her. It’s very like Violet. Her mother put a curse of ugliness on her because somebody stole the beans, the baker’s father. So her metamorphosis is that Rapunzel, [whom] she loves more than anything in the world, will love her because she’ll be beautiful. Of course, women think that if they’re beautiful, they will be loved. The thing is, you can get your wish and Rapunzel will still hate you. It’s such an interesting problem that Sondheim sets up. Everybody has a wish, everybody gets their wish. That’s just the end of the first act. Afterward, what happens after it all shakes down…it’s an ambitious thing.

The complete article can be read over at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Two new production stills from the upcoming “August: Osage County” have been added to the image library. One has been added a couple of days ago, the other one has just been sent in by Joan with many thanks. Click the previews to launch the last added pictures. “Osage County” will be screened this November at the Napa Valley and the St. Louis International Film Festival. Edit: Three more pictures have been added to the image library with many thanks to Juha for the heads-up.

Last week, Meryl has attended a press conference for “August: Osage County” in London. You can view pictures in the image library. Many thanks to Lindsey for sending them in.

As previously reported, the cast of “August: Osage County” has been honored as Best Enemble cast at the Hollywood Film Awards. Julia Roberts was honored as Best Supporting Actress as well. Unfortunately, Meryl was a no-show at the ceremony, but most of her castmembers attended and took the stage to accept the award. You can watch their speech, held by Chris Cooper and Margo Martindale here.

Macmillan Audio has re-released its William Steig collection as a new audio edition. Three of the children stories – “Brave Irene”, “The Amazing Bone” and “Spinky Sulks” – are narrated by Meryl Streep. These are not new recordings as all stories have appeared on the 2007 “The One and Only Shrek” already, but in case you haven’t heard these lovely readings yet, head over to Amazon. Thanks to Frank for the heads-up. Also, there hasn’t been a proper mention of “The Testament of Mary” yet, which is also read by Meryl and was released earlier this year. To learn more, visit its career page, which features an audio excerpt as well.

Here comes the fantastic new poster for “August: Osage County”, highlighting the disfunctional Weston family at its best. The film will be shown at the 2013 Houston Cinema Arts Festival, before its slated to be released on December 25th. This article on its Houston premiere also has a nice quote by Julia Roberts on the film’s making: “I’ve never worked so hard in my life – and I’ve given birth to three children. We would work all day and go home and shower, and then all run to Meryl’s house and start practicing for the next day. Because you had to have that momentum going really about 19 or 20 hours of the day or else it would just leave you. And it was the best acting experience of my life.”

A scan from the October 14 issue of US weekly has been added to the gallery, featuring a full page article on the recent making of “Into the Woods”. Besides a big spot for Meryl’s witch, there are more pictures of her co-stars Emily Blunt (who plays the Baker’s Wife), Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine (who play Cinderella and her prince) in costume. Click on the preview to view the article. Many thanks to Claudia for contributing the scan. The issue of US Weekly is on newsstands now.

The cast of August: Osage County will receive the Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award at the 17th annual Hollywood Film Awards, the first awards show of the 2013 season, on Oct. 21 at the Beverly Hilton, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. John Wells’ big-screen adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Tony- and Puliter Prize-winning play features a star-studded cast, including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Abigail Breslin, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham. August’s producers include George Clooney and Grant Heslov, who also produced last year’s best picture Oscar winner, Argo. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Entertainment Weekly has a present for us today: She’s not nice, she’s just right, she’s the witch. Check out the first photo of Meryl Streep as The Witch in the upcoming film version of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical Into the Woods. Rob Marshall is directing the film, which started production this week in the U.K. In the photo, Streep takes on a terrifying yet high-style version of the character, which was originated by Bernadette Peters on Broadway in 1987, complete with yellowing talon-like nails and a feathery frock.

But no one is alone. The musical is a twisted fairy tale featuring a number of classic characters including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack (of beanstalk fame), and Little Red Riding Hood, all connected by The Witch’s powers. Streep joins Johnny Depp (as the Wolf), Anna Kendrick (as Cinderella), Chris Pine (as Cinderella’s Prince), and Emily Blunt (as the Baker’s Wife) in the film, which is scheduled for a Christmas 2014 release. That’s a lot of midnights away, but it looks like it will be worth the wait. Thanks to everyone for the heads-up.