Congratulations to Meryl Streep on winning the Emmy Award for “Angels in America”. Leading the award show as a favorite with 21 nominations, “Angels” scored awards in every category it was nominated for, including honors as Best Television Movie, for Mike Nichols, Tony Kushner and its actors Al Pacino, Mary Louise Parker and Jeffrey Whright. With a total of 11 wins, “Angels in America” ties the record as most awarded film in the Emmy history with “Eleanor and Franklin” (1976).

According to ComingSoon.net, the rumors are true that Sandra Bullock dropped out of “Prime” and is replaced by Uma Thurman. The film has been further joined by Bryan Greenberg as Meryl Streep’s son and Annie Parisse as Thurman’s best friend. An official announcement on Uma is not yet out, as Paramount Pictures still lists Bullock.

The 2004 Venice Film Festival will show “The Manchurian Candidate”. Director Jonathan Demme and his cast, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and John Voigt are expected to attend the festival and the film’s photocall on September 02, 2004. “The Manchurian Candidate” will run out of competition.

Various sources, including an interview with USA Today, has mentioned Meryl’s involvement with the next Robert Altman film, “Prairie Home Companion”. The article quoted her to “play half of a female country music duo. It used to be a trio and might have been a quartet. We keep losing members”. Shooting begins in January 2005. Yet, Meryl’s involvement hasn’t been officially announced.

With the release of “The Manchurian Candidate”, Entertainment Weekly reported about Angela Lansbury’s displeasure on Meryl Streep taking over the role she performed in the original film. Further it was written that Streep had based her character on senator Hilary Clinton and that Paramount had to cut additional scenes that were too much Clinton. In an interview with NBC, Streep stated that she was disturbed by these reports, adding that her performance was not based on Clinton, but “who says I haven’t modeled it on a man?”. And although Entertainment Weekly stands by its taped interview, Streep reveals that Lansbury called her and denied she made the statements. “She said, ‘I never said this. I love all the people making this. I don’t know who started the rumor.”

Meryl has received a nomination as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or TV-Movie for her performances in “Angels in America”. She shares the category with Glenn Close (The Lion Winter), Judy Davis (The Reagans), Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect 6) and Emma Thompson (Angels in America). The mini-series leads the Emmy race with a total of 21 nominations, including for Best Mini-Series, Mike Nichols and his complete cast in the lead and supporting cate-gories. The Emmys are handed out on September 19, 2004. Congratulations & good luck!

Meryl was, while attending the Russia Film Festival, award with the Stanislavsky Award, the Russian honor for outstanding contribution to the world of cinema.

Meryl and her family attended the Shanghai Film Festival, as reported below. Presenting an award that night, Streep recalled to be a fan of the Chinese theatre.

“I love Chinese movies and don’t get enough of them in the United States and that’s why people hold film festivals to make others aware of films in other countries.”

The AFI’s Life Achievement Award took place this evening and was attended by many of Meryl’s co-stars, including Jack Nicholson, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Catherine O’Hara, among others, its evening featured many tribute speeches by her colleagues, surrounded with clips of her performances and never-before seen scenes from her two new films.

Meryl Streep was announced to attend the 2004 Shanghai Film Festival’s closing ceremony on June 12, 2004. For more information on her appearance and the festival, visit their Official Website