Variety announces that playwright Tracey Letts has begun work on a screenplay which will bring his Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning masterpiece, August: Osage County, to the big screen.
The project is still in its infancy, so no word on casting, studio or production schedule is known.
I have seen the Broadway production with the original cast (with one understudy filling in) and I have to say that the play deserves all the accolades it has received. It is one of the best pieces of drama I have ever seen. It goes from cringe-inducing to heartbreaking to hilariously funny, usually within the span of a couple minutes, every instance ringing true.
The play, and this description will not do it justice, revolves around the disappearance of the patriarch of the most dysfunctional family that you have ever seen. As the family reunites in the wake of the disappearance, secrets are revealed that could destroy the lives of more than one family member.
As for casting, I would go with the original Broadway cast. There is not a big Hollywood star in the lot, but each actor played their roles perfectly. However, Hollywood being what it is, they will probably replace most of the cast with “name” stars. That would be a mistake.
