According to the New York Times, at a reception on Thursday night to mark the completion of the Public Theater’s $40 million renovation of its Astor Place home, the theater was scheduled to announce another reason to celebrate: the actress Meryl Streep has donated $1 million to be put toward the cost of the reconfiguration. “I give this gift, “ Ms. Streep said in a statement, “in honor of the founder of the Public Theater, my friend and mentor Joseph Papp, and in remembrance of one of the theater’s Board members and greatest supporters, my friend Nora Ephron.” (Papp died in 1991; Ephron died in June.) Ms. Streep’s association with the company goes back to her 1975 Broadway debut in Papp’s staging of “Trelawny of the Wells” (the cast also included Mandy Patinkin and John Lithgow). She has also appeared in Shakespeare in the Park productions of “Henry V” and “Measure for Measure,” and more recently, “The Seagull” and “Mother Courage and Her Children.” The Public Theater’s renovation includes an expanded lobby, a new mezzanine-level cocktail lounge called the Library, a lobby snack bar meant to encourage theatergoers to congregate, a new entrance to Joe’s Pub and an expanded box office. Many thanks to Glenn for the news.

Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon will lead the luminaries honoring William McDonough at a fundraising gala for the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute on November 14, 2012. McDonough is a globally recognized leader in sustainable development. Along with Dr. Michael Braungart, he is the co-author of the landmark book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a nonprofit organization that was co-founded by William McDonough and Michael Braungart based on 30 years of work with industry. Its mission is to bring about a large-scale transformation in the way we make things. Through Cradle to Cradle certification, the Institute provides a continuous improvement quality standard to guide product manufacturers and designers toward making safe and healthy things for our world. Many thanks to Frank for the heads-up.

According to BroadwayWorld, Rob Marshall has made Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” his next project at Warner Bros/Disney – and a starry reading just has kicked the project off. BW has confirmed that the cast of the screenplay reading included Nina Arianda, Christine Baranski, James Corden, Allison Janney, Anna Kendrick, Donna Murphy and Patrick Wilson, among others. The cast for the film has not yet been announced, but BroadwayWorld has learned that Meryl Streep is in talks to join the film as the Witch, but was unable to make the reading. What’s interesting about this news is that Meryl has been already in talks to play the witch, when “Into the Woods” had a revival this year at the Public Theater. These news have never been confirmed back then, so let’s see if there’s more to the story this time. Thanks to everybody for the heads-up.

This week we cover “Julia”, Meryl’s 1977 motion picture debut. Since the role is really brief, not much material is available, but the image library has been updated with new DVD screencaptures (with many thanks to Katrin for guiding the film to me), a nice picture from the set (many thanks to Alvaro) and two stills from deleted scenes. The clips in the video archive have been updated in better quality as well. Production notes and review after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on “Julia” in the comments.

Here’s the very first look at Meryl Streep in character on the set of “August: Osage County”. Pictured with her is Margo Martindale, who’s playing her sister, Mattie Fay. The film has started shooting this week and includes an all-star cast, featuring Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Chris Cooper, Juliette Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin and Ewan McGregor. When the family patriarch vanishes, the Westons return to rural Oklahoma to care for their afflicted, manipulative mother (Streep), who’s armed with prescription drugs and paranoid mood swings. Many thanks to Joan for the picture.

Meryl Streep has narrated a new feature film, “Girl Rising”, for the organization 10×10. The film tells the extraordinary stories of girls from around the globe fighting to overcome impossible odds to realize their dreams. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins and features the voices of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez. 10×10 was founded by award-winning journalists at the Documentary Group and Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions. 10×10 is built on a foundation of partnerships with NGOs, corporations, policy makers, and grassroots organizations – all working to change minds, lives, and policy. These organizations provide life-changing services to girls every day, and are among the best practitioners of their kind. The trailer for “Girl Rising” will premiere at the organization’s official launch event to take place on October 10, 2012. You can learn more about 10×10 at their official website. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Many might remember the newsin 2010 of a possible film project for Meryl Streep and Tina Fey, directed by Stanley Tucci. “It seems to have fallen apart for now,” says Fey in this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly:

It was this thing at Sony called Mommy & Me and the script went through a lot of permutations and almost got made, and then didn’t… It was [about] a woman who loses her job and has to move home with her mother… The script didn’t really come together.

More quotes on the film as well as on Tina Fey’s cover story can be read here.

According to this article by The Wrap, Meryl Streep is attached to Tommy Lee Jones’ next effort as a director. With the American Film Market just around the corner, a number of pre-sales projects have begun to circulate among buyers, including “The Homesman” with Streep and Swank part of the package, TheWrap has learned. In May it was announced that Jones would write, direct, produce and star in the period piece, which follows a pioneer, played by Jones, and a frontier woman as they escort three insane women across the American prairie. No additional cast was announced at that time. Now an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap that buyers are being presented with a pre-AFM package that includes the two A -list actresses. Swank will play the frontier woman, but it was not clear which role Streep would play. Streep also starred with Jones this year in “Hope Springs.” The complete article can be read here. Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Since Meryl has attended the Charlie Foundation Benefit yesterday to raise awareness in the Ketogenic Diet, what better film to spotlight than “First Do No Harm”. The 1997 television film is based on director Jim Abrahams’ experiences with the disease after his son has been diagnosed with epilepsy. New DVD screencaptures as well as four new clips have been added. Production notes and review after the cut. To learn more about Meryl’s involvement with the organization, be sure to check the charity page on The Charlie Foundation and watch her 1994 PSA An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet. Again, many thanks to Katrin for guiding the film to me. As always, please share your toughts on “First Do No Harm” in the comments.

ABC News today writes a bit on the Charlie Foundation Gala to honor Meryl Streep. Streep was in Bloomingdale (Friday) to help raise money and awareness at the Charlie Foundation’s Inaugural Gala. That charity raises money to help find a cure for pediatric epilepsy. Streep starred in a 1997 film called First Do No Harm, which centered on a boy with severe epilepsy. “I’m really proud to be associated with the foundation to have played some small part in getting the word out the ketogenic diet and all the protocols that are associated with it,” Streep said. The ketogenic diet that Streep refers to has been beneficial to more than half of the children who’ve tried it. For now, there are only a few pictures from yesterday’s event. My thanks to Joan for sending them in. Edit: HQ pictures from the event have been added.

More than 350 guests flocked to Bloomingdale on Friday for a fundraiser staring Meryl Streep. She touted the ketogenic diet, which supporters like Streep say can treat the disease, making symptoms drastically improve or disappear. “That people aren’t being told about this, I find that really unconscionable,” Streep said. On the left are two more pictures by loyal visitor Pam, who has attended the benefit.