Meryl Streep has attend the 150th anniversary of Vassar College, yesterday. Pictures can be found in the image library.

News on the previously mentioned “Great Hope Springs” have been slow lately. Although it was promoted as a done deal back in Autumn 2010, there hasn’t been any news on the comedy drama ever since. Now, Deadline not only reports that director Mike Nichols has been replaced by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada), but also that Steve Carrell has been cast as the couple’s therapist (thanks for those letting me know since I originally wrote he was cast as the husband). As the husband, the latest news have been on James Gandolfini. No further sources or dates have been published. Personally, I think this is not close to being official as of now – especially since the first article says that Meryl is “in final negotiations” while the second article quotes the first one by saying she “officially signed on”. Let’s wait :-)

Brand new pictures from the “Iron Lady” set, taken on February 15, 2011, have been added to the image library. In the scenes currently being shot in South London, Mrs Thatcher is seen confronting protesters in the 1980s who are angry about job cuts and the introduction of the controversial poll tax.

Pictures from the set of “The Iron Lady”, taken on February 11 2011, have been added to the image library.

Much has been written in the British press since the first promotional still for “The Iron Lady” has been published. It’s sometimes difficult to interpret the UK press since they’re either very pro or anti Thatcher, which ultimately influences the tone of their articles.  First, the Daily Mail has reported that Meryl Streep was not able to talk to Margaret Thatcher herself. “Margaret Thatcher refused to meet actress Meryl Streep to discuss a new film about the former Prime Minister over fears that it could distort her 11 years in power.” Unfortunately there is no further source for this stated. Then, also courtesy the Daily Mail, pictures from the set have been revealed. “New shots of the actress on set showed a different side of the legendary politician. Meryl, filmed a scene [on February 11, 2011] in which the ex-PM gives daughter Carol a driving lesson in an old Austin Maxi.” Then, there’s more analysis on the first promotional still and Meryl’s ability to perform by the Telegraph. And lastly, according to the Guardian, Meryl Streep’s Margaret Thatcher reveals a modern icon. The photograph of Meryl Streep as Thatcher reminds us of the potent combination that created the image of an “Iron Lady”.

Many thanks to everyone for the heads-up on these exiting news. Pathé UK has released the first shot of Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Streep is in the 2nd week of filming The Iron Lady in London.

It’s the first feature from director Phyllida since she directed Streep in Mamma Mia. Jim Broadbent plays Thatcher’s husband Dennis. Damian Jones is the producer. Fox will release here in Britain through its output deal with Pathé, which is handling international sales itself. Pathé will unveil footage at Cannes. North American rights are still unsold. “I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses – I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own,” says Streep.

Many thanks to Peter for sending in the teaser trailer for the recent documentary “Where the Work Is: The Austin Pendleton Project”. It can be watched on Youtube and Simply Streep’s video archive.

“The Austin Pendelton Project” is the profile of an artist that has been up and down for more than four decades and always gone where the work is. Artists and film directors Gene Gallerano and David Holmes attempt to capture and explore the process that a teacher and director uses to help actors understand the reality of a given circumstance in imagined situations and the intricate navigation of arriving at a point of truth. With support and insight from an incredible pool of actors, writers and directors including Olympia Dukakis, Meryl Streep, Louis Zorich, Laurie Metcalf and more, the discovery of Austin Pendleton’s struggles and successes will be illuminated and explored. More on the documentary can be found at its official website.

Bernd Eichinger, a German screenwriter and producer who made films in Germany and Hollywood, including the 1993 literary adaptation “The House of the Spirits” starring Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close, died in Los Angeles on Monday. In 1979, Mr. Eichinger became director of Constantin, which was then a struggling company but has since become one of Germany’s most important production and distribution houses. In addition to “The NeverEnding Story” (1984), Mr. Eichinger’s producing credits include works like “The Name of the Rose” (1986), “Last Exit to Brooklyn” (1989), “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” (1997), “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (2006) and “The Baader Meinhof Complex” (2008), about a terrorist group in West Germany in the 1970s, which was nominated for an Academy Award as best foreign language film. He was 61.

Here’s another great find for the archives! In 1978, Meryl won a Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her breakthrough performance in NBC’s “Holocaust”, her very first major award after transferring from the New York stages to film and television. Meryl didn’t attend the awards ceremony to accept the award since she was filming in New York.

Many thanks to Pam for bringing this to my attention! Though she has won her Oscars for dramatic roles, Forbes reports that over the last five years, Meryl Streep’s comedies – “Mamma Mia,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Julie & Julia,” “It’s Complicated” – have earned $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide, earning the actress the Forbes’ 1st place as highest grossing actress in comedy. Despite “Sex and the City 2” underperforming both commercially and critically, Sarah Jessica Parker ranked No. 2 with $916 million. (The SATC sequel may have earned $95 million in the U.S., but it raked in an impressive $193 million overseas.) No. 3: Katherine Heigl, whose comedies have earned $773 million over the last five years. Cameron Diaz comes in fourth with $768 million. Anne Hathaway rounds out the top 5. Her comedies – which include the mega-popular, “The Devil Wears Prada” – have earned $727 at the box office worldwide.