According to eOnline‘s round up of industry news, Brittany Murphy has signed on to star in Lifetime’s Nora Roberts’ Tribute next year.
Murphy will play Cilla McGowan, a former child star who ends up in Virginia rehabbing her grandmother’s farmhouse. Jason Lewis will play the hero, graphic novel artist Ford Sawyer.
I have to say, the squeaky voiced Murphy makes a strange casting decision in my mind’s eye movie of the book, but it remains to be seen whether Locklear or Murphy will win the “Fangirl Ire” contest in 2009.
[Thanks to Dagny for the link.]
Yum! Jason Lewis! Nice casting.
Yet, I have a hard time disassociating him from all those steamy scenes he did with Kim Cattrall in “Sex & the City”.
I second that one.
I still need to read the book. It’s on my shelf.
At least Murphy is more age appropriate for the role than Locklear was for Angels Fall. I had the hardest time watching her in that role because I kept thinking, “I’m really supposed to believe she’s in her early 30’s? Really?? She’s older than I am!”
I think that Murphy can probably carry off the “former child star” vibe, too. That said, it would be nice if she would get a little muscle tone in her arms prior to filming. (Sorry, it just seems that someone that remodels houses wouldn’t have arms that look like she has trouble lifting a good-sized sandwich.)
Murphy was probably also in their price range. I don’t think she’s been doing much lately.
This and the squeaky voice are my worries about Murphy in this role (and pretty much everything else), but I think it’s probably true that they were going for the best possible combination of name recognition & affordability that they could get.
Actually…Brittany Murphy as Cilla makes way more sense to me than Leeann Rimes as Meg. But that’s just my opinion.:)
Mmmmm, Jason Lewis. That’s enough to get me to watch.
Darn, I don’t have Lifetime. I’ll have to wait until it comes out on video.
I never hold up much hope when anyone’s book is turned into a movie but I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised.
I loved the descriptions in the novel of the landscape and the craftsmen and the materials they used so I just hope they do justice to the two houses.
If whoever that is does justice to Ford I’ll be really happy.
Neither of those actors would ever have occured to me for Cilla and Ford. But, oh, the eye candy that is Lewis.
OMG, I hope she can carry the role. She needs more than muscle tone, she needs to show some character as well, Cilla was no pushover. I don’t see her with a squeaky voice, not at all. He can probably carry Ford, although for some reason I imagined him differently.
But at least, as it was mentioned before these two are age appropriate. I couldn’t stand watching Locklear, and I’m a total NR fan—she ruined Angel’s Fall for me.
Arugh! No! No no no no no! Why am I not surprised. Why on earth would they cast Murphy as Cilla??? Sheesh.
LeeAnn Rimes as Meg—say it isn’t so!
Listening to Tribute on DVD as we speak. Do not like the voice/inflection/tone the woman is using for Ford at all. It is difficult to listen to. I have never had this problem before with a book on tape.
I would not have thought the voice would be such a big deal, but it is. Maybe Ms. Murphy can modulate her voice for this. Nora’s description of Cilla’s physicality also seems at odds with Ms. Murphy’s body/appearance.
Looking forward to seeing the tatoo wonder that is Steve, though. Maybe they will do a casting call at LA Ink.
I haven’t read Tribute yet so I can’t comment on the news, only pass it along. But I have been thinking about who I would have cast as Meg instead of Leanne. The best I’ve come up with is Cobie Smulders from How I Met Your Mother. She plays tough and independent well. I can physically buy her as Meg. Plus I associate her with the northern environs since her HIMYM character is from rural, western Canada.
As for Nate, I’ve heard Eddie Cibrian is rumored but not confirmed. I don’t mind him but I’m not sure he can play things as dark as Nate is. Right now my choice would be Owain Yeoman (currently of The Mentalist).
I should note that when I cast these in my head I always use TV actors because I try to be realistic about who would sign on to a Lifetime movie. Which I guess it seems a bit strange since these are all dreamed up in the first place.