Some odd news courtesy Variety. Bravo is breathing life into “Death Becomes Her.” Twenty years after the theatrical debut of the film, Bravo and the pic’s helmer, Robert Zemeckis, have begun eyeing a smallscreen adaptation. Zemeckis is on board to exec produce the hourlong drama project along with Jack Rapke and Jackie Levine, though a writer has yet to be tapped. The TV version of “Death Becomes Her” will be produced by Universal Cable Prods. and Lupara Prods. Universal released the film in 1992 and, by airing on Bravo, the cable adaptation will remain in the NBCUniversal family. “Death Becomes Her” centers on two rival women who both attain eternal youth. Pic, starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis, earned $58 million Stateside and $149 million globally. Good to know Zemeckis is on board again, but I doubt we should be expecting to see Meryl being a part of it. Thanks to everybody for the heads-up!

Make sure to get your DVD, Blu-Ray or on demand copy of “Hope Springs”, out in the USA on December 04. The DVD, in various formats, offers director commentary, a five-minute gag reel, a four-minute featurette with Streep and Jones talking marriage, and 17 minutes of alternate takes. The Blu-ray offers four additional featurettes. Over 1.000 Blu-Ray screencaptures from the film have been added to the image library, with many thanks to my friend Lindsey, who got her pre-order a day early. Enjoy the screencaptures.

With the Golden Globe nominations being announced next week, both Meryl and Tommy Lee are favors to receive nominations in the categories for Comedy actor and actress, respectively. The film has received generally positive reviews upon its release, the New York Times wrote, that “Mr. Jones and Ms. Streep keep the therapy scenes lively, despite Mr. Frankel’s stolid direction, as he cuts between Dr. Feld, murmuring thoughtful, Oprah-eseque banalities from his chair, and Kay and Arnold, plopped side by side and sometimes squirming and mugging on the couch. Mr. Frankel has a tougher time once Kay and Arnold, who travel to Maine to work with Dr. Feld, retreat into their separate corners.”

To further heighten your mood for the film and its special features, Entertainment Tonight has published a compliation video clip from the disc’s gag reel on their website. In the bloopers, an excerpt of one and a half minutes, you can catch Tommy Lee Jones proclaiming that “Meryl Streep does not make mistakes – sometimes the world can not just keep up.” and Meryl herself failing to strike the garbage can. More features can be found on the DVD, with additional featurettes on the Blu-Ray disc.

Yesterday, the Kennedy Center Honors reception was held, and last year’s recipient Meryl Streep was on hand to attend the gala. Shown with Dustin Hoffman, one of this year’s recipients, I wonder if she will attend the ceremony to talk about “Kramer vs. Kramer”. The awards ceremony takes place today on Sunday, gala will be broadcast on CBS on December 26, 2012 at 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT. Besides Hoffman, Buddy Guy, David Letterman, Natalia Makarova and Led Zeppelin are honored. Edit: It looks like Meryl didn’t speak at yesterday’s gala, at least there haven’t been any pictures. But I’ve added some additional images from the gala reception to the image library.

Scans from three recent magazines have been added to the image library, with many thanks to Alvaro for sending them in. Two are coming from Italy, A Magazine and TU Magazine both cover the Italian theatrical release of “Hope Springs”. The third scan comes from Entertainment Weekly and pays tribute to publicist Lois Smith, a longtime collaborator and friend to Meryl and many public personalities, who passed away this October. Enjoy the new scans.

Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – A Magazine (Italy, November 01, 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – TU Magazine (Italy, October 23, 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Entertainment Weekly (USA, October 23, 2012)

The “A Magical Evening” gala, in honor of the late Christopher and Dana Reeve has become an event that Meryl attends annually since its launch. So it’s no surprise she has been on hand at yesterday’s event. Picutres have been added to the image library with more to come.

Some additional notes courtesy of CBS News: Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep was the speaker at the annual benefit gala for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Wednesday night at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. The actress, who was dressed in black slacks and a black tunic, is a supporter of the foundation, which seeks treatments and cures for paralysis and looks for ways to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities. The annual “A Magical Evening Gala” helps raise money for the foundation. The event’s hosts were Matthew Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens, children of the organization’s founder. “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, started the organization with his wife, Dana. Reeve was 52 when he died in October 2004. Dana, then 42, continued his work with the foundation until she was diagnosed with lung cancer eight months later. She died in March of 2006.

The Movie of the Week section has come to an end this week and it has been a great joy to revisit Meryl’s films – my own favorites and those I haven’t seen in a while. Also, it has been very interesting to read your comments and thoughts on the spotlighted films each week. Since it’s a wrap – what has been your favorite Meryl Streep performance so far? Or your favorite film? Or your particular favorite scene? You’re invited to browse the video archive to rewatch clips from all of Meryl’s films, check the filmography pages for background information on her productions or browse the previous Movie of the Week entries to get some inspiration. Please share your thoughts in the comments.

It’s a wrap for the “Movie of the Week”. Within the last year, every film has been spotlighted, and I’ve saved the best for last – Meryl’s performance as Lindy Chamberlain in Fred Schepisi’s “A Cry in the Dark”. New DVD screencaptures have been added alongside new production stills and promotional pictures. Three new clips have been added to the video archive. Production notes and review after the cut. Additionally, you can check the site special on the real Lindy Chamberlain. As always, please share your thoughts on “A Cry in the Dark” in the comments.

New article about Tracy Letts’ adaptation of “August: Osage County” for the big screen courtesy The Los Angeles Times: Letts’ play tells of several generations of the colorful Weston family, particularly drug-addled matriarch Violet (Streep) and troubled professor daughter Barbara (Roberts), as they gather in the family home for a few weeks one summer, each personality trying to get the better of the other as they cope with their complicated lives. “I think it’s very recognizably the same piece,” he said. “There’s not a lot of invention per se. There are opportunities to let them loose from the house, and I did some cutting to try to find those places in a play that sound maybe a little theatrical to the ear if you were doing them on screen. But that’s about it.” Several months ago, as he was preparing for that show, Letts traveled to the Oklahoma set of “August” to join actors at a table read and field questions. Roberts, Streep and others peppered him with the meaning of the text. (He said their questions were “workmanlike” queries about their characters and his intentions, “things an outsider might find banal but that are important to an actor.”) The complete article can be read here.

Today spotlight features my second-favorite performance, “Marvin’s Room”, Jerry Zak’s 1996 drama co-starring Diane Keaton and Leonardo DiCaprio. New DVD screencaptures have been added to the image library as well as additional production stills. Three new clips can be found in the video archive, alongside various interviews, featurette and Meryl and Carly Simon recording “Two Little Sisters”. Production notes and review after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on “Marvin’s Room” in the comment. And check back next week for the “Movie of the Week” finale.

More media on Wednesday’s C2C Innovation Institute Gala (see below) has emerged with a video transcript of Meryl’s speech to her friend William McDonough and an interview she gave to Fresh Dialogues. The first thing that strikes you about Meryl Streep is her grace and poise. She glided into the throng of green designers and architects gathered at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Gala in San Francisco this week, completely unruffled by the crush of fans; the flash of smart phones; and the fierce security guards.

Yet instantly, like a chameleon, Streep can switch from serene queen of the movies to cozy confidante. I found myself standing next to her and shook her hand. As you know, she’s renowned for her authentic accents in every exotic role she’s played, so I asked her, “Can you do a good Scottish accent?” She immediately leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I love the way they say murdererrrr!” Rolling those r’s as only a lass from Scotland – or Meryl Streep – can do. Then she laughed with that infectious burst of effervescence. Now that would make even The Iron Lady melt a wee bit. But enough trivia. The best part is, I found her later that evening and she agreed to a Fresh Dialogues interview. We had a lively conversation about her green design guru and close friend William McDonough; and why she’s become an activist for the environment. Enjoy her hilarious tribute to McDonough and check out the highlights of her interview over at Fresh Dialogues.