12 projects have been selected to participate in The Writers Lab, produced by New York Women in Film and Television and IRIS, an organization that promotes female voices in fictional film. Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey fund the program, entering its third year, which bills itself as the only lab in the world devoted to providing script development for women writers over the age of 40. It is produced in collaboration with the Writers Guild of America, East. Mentors who have been confirmed for the lab, slated to run Sept. 14-17, include producers Susan Cartsonis (What Women Want and Where the Heart Is), Lisa Cortes (Precious, Shadowboxer) and Caroline Kaplan (Time Out of Mind, Letters to Juliet); writer Amy Fox (Equity); and Disney/Pixar consultant Pat Verducci. Producer Alexis Alexanian (Pieces of April) will head up the roster of special guests. The Writers Lab will take place in the Connecticut River Valley, where the mentors and writers will meet for panel discussions as well as one-on-one discussions to develop and refine their scripts. The full article and a list of the selected projects can be found over at The Hollywood Reporter. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Over the past few weeks, I have randomly posted new pictures to the photo gallery, whenever something came my way. There’s a little bit of everything, from some unseen old appearances pictures, to additional film stills and some wonderful editorial photography from the 1980s and 1990s. For a complete overview, have a look at the list below. If you’d like to be the first to know about new picture additions, bookmark the last updated albums in the photo gallery, or have a look at Simply Streep’s Twitter account, where new finds are regularly posted as well. Enjoy the new additions.

Imagine Meryl Streep receives an Emmy nomination and you miss the news. Well, that has just happened y’all :-) Many thanks to Frank for pointing out that on Thursday, Meryl received her career’s fourth Emmy nomination (after acting nods for “Holocaust”, “First Do No Harm” and “Angels in America”) in the category of Outstanding Narration for the Netflix series “Five Came Back”. She shares the category with a bunch of co-stars – Liev Schreiber has received two nominations for narrating “Muhammad Ali: Only One” and “UConn: The March to Madness”. Sam Neill is nominated for “Wild New Zealand” and Ewan McGregor for “Wild Scotland”. Rounding out the category is Laurence Fishburne for narrating National Geographic’s “Year Million”. “Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War,” tells the extraordinary story of how Hollywood changed World War II – and how World War II changed Hollywood, through the interwoven experiences of five filmmakers who interrupted their successful careers to serve their country, risk their lives and bring the truth back to the American people: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. Now, since Outstanding Narration will not be the pivotal award of the night (and I’m sure they’re given out during the Creative Emmy Awards), let’s not expect a big Emmy night for Meryl – at least now we know that this category even existed.

According to Variety, Lily James has joined the cast of Universal’s “Mamma Mia” sequel, titled “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.” Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried are returning with Ol Parker writing and directing. James will play “Young Donna.” The film goes back and forth in time to show how relationships forged in the past resonate in the present. Littlestar’s Judy Craymer and Playtone’s Gary Goetzman, who produced the original, will re-team for the sequel. Craymer is also the creator and producer of the stage musical. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are aboard again to provide music and lyrics and serve as executive producers. Universal’s Senior VP of production Kristen Lowe and Creative Executive Lexi Barta will oversee production for the studio. James had been weighing a handful of big studio tentpoles over the past couple weeks following the success of crime caper “Baby Driver.” The rising talent broke on to the scene in the acclaimed series “Downton Abbey,” and followed that up with her role as the lead in Disney’s “Cinderella.” She is also in the Winston Churchill biopic “Darkest Hour,” scheduled for release this fall. “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” will open on July 20, 2018. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

The United States were born on July 4, 1776 when the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence declaring the 13 American colonies a new nation: The United States of America. Now, on its 241st birthday, HBO and documentarian Alexandra Pelosi are celebrating the occasion with The Words That Built America, a film that features all six living presidents, six vice presidents, as well as senators, congresspeople, governors, and celebrities in an unabridged reading of the authentic words from the documents that created our democracy: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Directed by Alexandra Pelosi, “The Words That Built America” premieres July 4 at 7PM on HBO, and will be available for free at youtube.com/HBO and watch.hbo.com. A full list of participants can be found on Simply Streep’s career page. Also, likewise from the voice department, Meryl has participated in a feature length documentary, Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray, an intimate portrait of the groundbreaking artist that explores the relationship between Murray’s family life and career and reconsiders her place in the contemporary art history. Trailers for both programmes have been added to the video archive.

CBS Sunday Morning has had a nice report on the Yale Rep’s 50th anniversary, including an interview with Meryl Streep. “The Rep” — what insiders call the Yale Repertory Theatre, now marking its 50th season. It’s a unique entity on the American theater scene, a place where graduate students at the Yale Drama School work side-by side with experts in every aspect of theater. Some of the students who have trod these boards include Liev Schreiber, Angela Bassett, Paul Giamatti, Frances McDormand, Lupita Nyong’o and Henry Winkler. But the classes of 1974 and ’75 are probably the most famous: Actress Sigourney Weaver; Tony Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang and costume designer William Ivy Long; and Meryl Streep, who put on a false nose for a play called “The Idiot’s Karamozov.” “Oh, my God, it’s unnervingly close – yeah, that was fun!” said Streep. “You didn’t try to look beautiful!” laughed Braver. “No, that wasn’t the aim! And I succeeded.” “But it’s one of things that I think has made your movies so wonderful, because although you look beautiful in a lot of them, you don’t seem to care whether you do or not.” “Well, there are so many different kinds of people to play, and not all of them have long, blonde hair. So I realized that if I wanted to have an interesting career, you’ve just got to upend people’s expectations.” The complete article can be read here, the video can be found in the video archive, and screencaptures have been added to the photo gallery.

Last night at Diane Keaton’s AFI Life Achievement Award tribute gala, Meryl Streep paid tribute to her fellow actress in a sartorial way. She channeled Keaton’s iconic style and dressed up in a suit, tie and hat worthy of being in Annie Hall’s closet. Streep’s tribute to her longtime friend went beyond her wardrobe. She also praised Keaton’s work in a heartfelt speech about the actress. “Diane Keaton, arguably one of the most covered-up persons in the history of clothes, is also a transparent woman, even though she is famously the only member of the original cast of Hair on Broadway who would not take off her clothes at the end of the show,” she confessed on stage, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Keaton’s lifetime achievement event airs on TNT on June 15. Pictures have been added to the photo gallery with many thanks to Lindsey for some great additions. Edit: The American Film Institute has posted Meryl’s segment at the ceremony. You can watch it in the video archive.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO has gotten Donald Trump and Meryl Streep together for its new Independence Day special. The pay cable network has set The Words That Built America – which features readings from The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights – from director Alexandra Pelosi and narrator David McCullough. Naturally, the 45-minute documentary will debut July 4. Pelosi, the filmmaker daughter of Nancy Pelosi, has gathered a roster of A-list celebrities and living U.S. presidents, vice presidents, U.S. senators, Supreme Court justices, governors and titans of media to participate in a unabridged reading of the authentic words of the nation’s founding fathers. The participants include a range of Americans from across the political spectrum. In addition to the current president and vice president, politicians to lend their voice include Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie, along with media personalities Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity and Anderson Cooper. Among the stars to be featured in the doc are such big names as Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Bryan Cranston, Caitlyn Jenner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Bacon, Kerry Washington, Meryl Streep, Vince Vaughn, America Ferrera, Neil Patrick Harris, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Samuel L. Jackson. The special, which will later be donated to the National Constitution Center for use in its ongoing educational programming, marks Pelosi’s 11th collaboration with HBO, following such docs as Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?, Diary of a Political Tourist, Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip and Journeys with George.

To read more about Mary Poppins Returns, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, or buy it here now. It’s no secret that all nannies are compared to one single, supernaturally-inclined doyenne of discipline who flew in on the eastern wind in 1964. The iconic character has stayed in the hearts of moviegoers in the decades since she first burst onto the screen — and now, she’s back. Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns (in theaters Christmas 2018) might be one of the highest-profile sequels ever attempted, more than half a century after Walt Disney’s cinematic classic immortalized the careers of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, smashed records, got a word in the dictionary (guess which one) and become one of the most cherished films of all time. This time, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) leads Michael’s wayward children (and Jane and Michael themselves) on a series of unbelievable adventures — to the top of Big Ben, the bottom of the ocean, into magical encounters with animated dancing penguins and upside-down cousins (hey, Meryl Streep!). If anyone can help this family find the light they’ve lost, it’s Mary Poppins. The complete article can be read over at Entertainment Weekly and a first on-set picture can be found in the photo gallery.

The Massachusetts Conference for Women has announced that Meryl Streep and Viola Davis will be keynote speakers at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Adam Grant, top-rated Wharton Professor and best-selling co-author, with Sheryl Sandberg, of Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy will also deliver a keynote address. “We are delighted to welcome Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Adam Grant to the main stage in Boston,” said Gloria Larson, board chair of the Massachusetts Conference for Women. “This standout lineup of speakers, icons in the arts and in business, are sure to inspire attendees in ways they will long remember.” The 13th annual Massachusetts Conference for Women will host over 11,000 attendees for a full day of networking, inspiration, professional development and personal growth. In addition to a standout lineup of keynote speakers, the nonpartisan, nonprofit event will feature breakout sessions led by more than 150 experts and industry leaders about topical issues including building networks, branding, work-life balance, managing up, happiness and civility in the workplace and life. Many thanks to Frank and Glenn for the heads-up.