According to the New York Daily News, the casting for “August: Osage County” has been finished with the latest addition of Julianne Nicholson as Ivy Weston, as the film is about to start shooting next week. Tracy Letts’ sprawling family saga “August: Osage County” starts filming on Monday. Asked how he whittled down his 3 1/2 hour play for the big-screen, he told me: “I was doing rewrites a couple nights ago.” Asked about his role in picking the cast in the film directed by “ER” alum John Wells, Letts admitted it was minimal. “I don’t know how much they listen to me,” he said, adding that he’s pleased with the cast headed by Meryl Streep as Violet, the mad matriarch. Julia Roberts plays her eldest daughter, Barbara. “The ironic thing is that the more successful a play is the more likely it is that actors will be shunted aside for movie stars. That’s the way it is.” Playing Roberts’ sisters are Juliette Lewis as Karen, and Julianne Nicholson as Ivy, Letts told me. Letts was in Oklahoma on Monday for the first table read. “It is the only day in the entire process I’m able to be there. They asked lots of smart questions.”

Three new clips have been added to the video archive. The first is 1991 report to promote the theatrical release of “Postcards from the Edge”, featuring interviews with Meryl and Shirley MacLaine. The second clip is a profile on Meryl’s career by CBS Sunday Morning and the releases of “One True Thing” and “Dancing at Lughnasa” (including footage from the Telluride Film Festival as well). In the third video interview, Meryl talks about “Music of the Heart”, her preparation and the making of the film. Enjoy.

Here’s a great addition to the archives. Over 50 images of Meryl’s early stage performances have been added to the image library. The update includes pictures from the highschool productions of “Li’l Abner” and “Oklahoma” in 1966, Meryl’s years at the Yale Drama School and the Vassar Drama Department (including “Miss Julie” and “The Miser“). Then, there are additions to the Yale Repertory Theatre galleries, including “The Possessed“, “The Idiots Karamazov” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and various pictures from her plays with the Public Theater. Also, promotional posters for “Measure for Measure“, “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Alice in Concert” have been posted. By clicking below’s previews, you can launch all last added pictures. Enjoy!

Additional information by the Daily Herald on Meryl’s appearance at the Charlie Foundation fundraiser this Friday. When Meryl Streep comes to Bloomingdale on Friday, it won’t be for a movie shoot or film promotion. Instead, it will be for something even closer to her heart. The star will come to Hilton Indian Lakes Resort to speak at a charity gala for The Charlie Foundation to Cure Pediatric Epilepsy. The foundation advocates for education about the ketogenic diet, which supporters say can be used to treat epilepsy in children. The high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet mimics aspects of fasting by forcing the body to burn fats and ketone bodies rather than carbohydrates. The ketones then pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source, and these elevated ketone levels reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures. The complete article can be read here. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

This Sunday’s spotlight is “Defending Your Life”, Albert Brook’s 1991 afterlife comedy. New DVD screencaptures have been added to the gallery. Three new clips can be found in the video archive. Production notes and review after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on “Defending Your Life” in the comments. My most sincere thanks to the wonderful Katrin for sharing the film with me so it can be reviewed as Movie of the Week. Thanks!

According to Deadline, Ewan McGregor has been cast alongside Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in August: Osage County, the movie adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play that begins production September 24. The Weinstein Company made the announcement today. McGregor will play Bill Fordham, the estranged husband of Barbara (Roberts) and son-in-law of pill-popping matriarch Violet Weston (Streep). A college professor, he left his wife for one of his students but wants to be there for his family. His marriage is disintegrating and his patience is running thin. And according to Variety, Misty Upham has joined the cast as well. Upham will play a college student who comes to work for Streep’s character.

This Sunday’s spotlight is “Dancing at Lughnasa”, the 1998 Irish drama based on the Tony-winning play. New DVD screencaptures have been added to the image library and three new clips can be found in the video archive, alongside a very interesting making of, in case you haven’t seen it yet. Production notes and review after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on “Dancing at Lughnasa” in the comments.

Yesterday, Meryl has attended the New York screening of Fred Schepisi’s new film “The Eye of the Storm”. Streep and Schepisi have done two films in the 1980’s – “Plenty” and “A Cry in the Dark”. Pictures from the screening can be found in the image library.

Scans from the three recent magazine articles and interviews have been added to the image library. First, an interview with Meryl in the German edition of In Style, a very nice article by the Hollywood Reporter on the recent success of films with older actors (many thanks to Pam for scanning this), and an interview in the Italian Myself Magazine (many thanks to Simona for the scans). Enjoy the new articles.

Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Cinema Magazin (Germany, September 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Film Demnaechst (USA, September 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Jours de France (Italy, September 2012)

This Sunday we cover “It’s Complicated”, the 2009 romantic comedy by Nancy Meyers. New DVD screencaptures have been added to the image library. The video archive has been re-organized with many new interviews and scenes from the film. Production notes and review after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on “It’s Complicated” in the comments.