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.

Article courtesy Bloomberg. Actress Meryl Streep visited the British Parliament to watch Prime Minister’s Questions today as she prepared for her role playing Margaret Thatcher.

Streep will portray the former prime minister in “The Iron Lady,” which deals with the run-up to the 1982 Falklands Conflict. Cameron’s office said she contacted it to secure a pass to the House of Commons viewing gallery. The half-hour weekly question session sees Cameron dealing with any topic about which lawmakers choose to ask him. Its combative style makes it the highlight of Britain’s political week, and party leaders spend hours preparing. When Thatcher was in office between 1979 and 1990, there were two 15-minute sessions a week.

In a recent interview with ComingSoon to promote his latest film, “The Company Men”, director John Wells dished on his next project, the adaptation of Tracy Lett’s stage play “August: Osage County”.

We’re gonna do the Tracy Letts play “August Osage County.” It’s a film for Weinstein. It’s been in the press already, so it’s not a secret. Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep look like they’re gonna do it, so and I’ll direct that next fall I think, so I’m working with Tracy on the screenplay now. It’s a great play, and we’re trying to turn it into something less than a four-hour movie. It was a long play.

Article courtesy the Daily Mail: Former Tory Party allies of Margaret Thatcher, and a host of political experts, have helped Meryl Streep prepare for her screen portrait of the former prime minister. Rehearsals begin at the end of next week and shooting begins early in February on The Iron Lady, in which the two-time Oscar­winning star will portray one of this country’s most famous leaders. The film will show Lady Thatcher reflecting on her life and the ­triumphs – and defeats – of her career, with her husband Denis, in ghostly form, guiding her. The Falklands War will be one of many major events tackled in the film, which is being directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who worked with Streep in the phenomenally ­successful screen version of the musical Mamma Mia! The actress has made several flying visits to London to view video footage of Lady Thatcher and to listen to her speeches. And she has been briefed by what producers Damian Jones and ­executives at Pathe Films described as ‘a variety of people with ­political insight, who know her (Thatcher’s) world’.

I understand the list includes one of Lady Thatcher’s former Cabinet ministers, plus a couple of former advisers and political writers, but producers are refusing to divulge any names – for now. Unsurprisingly, I’m told Streep’s preparation has been meticulous. ‘It’s going to be a portrait, not an impersonation, although Meryl has worked tirelessly on the prime minister’s speech pattern and delivery,’ someone working on the creative side of the film told me. Casting is now almost complete. Jim Broadbent, as we know, will portray Denis, and Olivia Coleman will be daughter Carol (son Mark will not appear . . . he’ll be heard at the end of a phone, probably after he was found in the desert).

Politicians who appear in and out of Mrs Thatcher’s life will be played by Anthony Head (Geoffrey Howe), Angus Wright (John Nott), Richard E. Grant (Michael ­Heseltine) and Julian Wadham (Francis Pym). Roger Allam will play Thatcher’s image guru Gordon Reece, and Michael Pennington will portray Labour Party leader Michael Foot.

Today has brought two big updates for Meryl’s potential next project “August: Osage County”. First, Hollywood Elsewhere has the scoop that the film will “reportedly begin filming next summer (presumably between May and August), or a month or two after Streep finishes portraying conservative British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady.” Then, Julia Roberts has talked to Entertainment Weekly and was asked about the project.

Q: Your next movie is August: Osage County with Meryl Streep. Could that be your return trip to the ceremony? A: I think that will just be my trip to heaven to be with Meryl Streep in that scenario. It’s a dream come true.

I think this project can be treated as official from now on ;-) “August: Osage County” is a darkly comedic play by Tracy Letts. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites in Oklahoma, after their father disappears, their home explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. This new play unflinchingly – and uproariously – exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family. Meryl Streep is cast in the role of the mother and family matriarch of the Weston family, Violet. She is addicted to several prescription drugs, mostly depressants and narcotics. Julia Roberts is cast as her oldes daughter, Barbara.

Actor Jim Broadbent has talked to New Magazine to promote Mike Leigh’s latest film “Another Year” – and also spoke about the upcoming “The Iron Lady”. Very exciting! The full article and interview can be read at the NYmag’s website. According to Broadbent, shooting of “The Iron Lady” will start on late January.

I think years ago a film about Thatcher was attempted, and they had a phone-in vote on a BBC morning news program: “Who do you think should play Margaret Thatcher?” And Meryl actually came out on top! I think it’s perceived that Thatcher needs a star, really, and she’s perfect casting in many ways. She’s got a good look, and she’ll absolutely do it in a brilliant way. She’s also got an interesting eye on the script: She can bring an outsider’s view on the story, so that it won’t become a lazy, parochial piece that Brits understand but where nobody else really knows what’s going on. She can ask the questions that foreign audiences will ask.

I wanted to do a year in review ever since I started Simply Streep – but somehow it took me eleven years to actually write one. So with great joy, here’s 2010 in review with lots of pictures, links – and memories – to let the year, Meryl-wise, live up once again.

In a recent article with The Times, actor Richard E. Grant mentioned his involvement with the upcoming “The Iron Lady”. Shooting is stated to begin January 2011.

When I’m back from Africa I start filming The Iron Lady – I’m playing Michael Heseltine and Meryl Streep is playing Margaret Thatcher – and the good news is that it’s being made here in Britain.

Here’s an early Christmas present to you. On December 05, British ITV1 had a 90 minutes television special on “The Nation’s Favourite ABBA song”, a countdown of the Swedish group’s music hits, as voted by the British public. The programme was accompanied by interviews with Bjorn and Frida, collaborators, celebrity fans – as well as Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Julie Walters, reflecting on shooting the movie version of the musical “Mamma Mia” (Meryl’s remarks were filmed back in 2008 for “The South Bank Show”). With many thanks to the great Alvaro, a video excerpt as well as captures from the programme have been added to the site. Enjoy watching!

Article courtesy The Family Kitchen blog: Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and accompanying TV shows inspired a new perspective toward cooking in the sixties. In book and hit movie, Julie & Julia, Meryl Streep reintroduced Julia Child to the masses, reminding us how much we love her. But as with any well-known public figure, there’s the on-air persona everyone gets to see, and presumably the personal life everyone wants a peek into. “As Always, Julia”, a collection of around 200 letters exchanged between Julia and Avis DeVoto, her friend and unofficial literary agent (introduced in the movie) allow us a peek into Julia’s thoughts and feelings. Their correspondence, in print for the first time, reminds me of a time when letters were a key means of communication, pre- cell phones, email, facebook and twitter. I do miss letters.

In As Always, Julia we get to follow the bringing to life of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a frank, funny, agonizing way as Julia, beginning as a new bride in Paris, follows her diplomat husband as he is transferred between Nice, Germany, and Norway. There are wonderful, real photos of Julia in her home and on holiday. There’s commentary by the famed food historian Joan Reardon, addressing political, social and gastronomic issues throughout. For those who love to curl up in bed with a good cookbook, this read will go further – like a good novel, reality TV and a cookbook rolled into one. The book has been released on December 1, 2010 and can be ordered – at Amazon – and other know sources.