Just as we were reporting on “Into the Wood”‘s Christmas Day 2014 release, the Weinstein Company has a Christmas present for moviegoers as well – at least this sounds better news than saying that “August: Osage County” has been shifted a good month into December. According to The Wrap, The Weinstein Company on Thursday shifted the release date of one of its main awards hopefuls, “August: Osage County,” to Christmas Day. It had been scheduled to debut on November 8. Christmas is getting crowded. Also set to debut on that day are Universal’s Keanu Reeves action drama “47 Ronin,” Paramount’s Chris Pine-Keira Knightley action thriller “Jack Ryan” and the Fox comedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Mark your calendars, in case you already have one dating that far into the future :-) According to The Huffington Post, “Into the Woods” will release US theaters Christmas – next year. They write, “Coming Christmas 2014: the case of the competing family fare. Disney has announced it will pit its buzzy remake of “Annie” against Sony’s equally buzzy adaptation of “Into the Woods.” Both have been the subject of endless casting updates over the past several weeks. The latest news has Sandra Bullock possibly taking on the role of Miss Hannigan in “Annie”; comedian Tracey Ullman, meanwhile, will potentially join Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and the rest of the all-star lineup that “Into the Woods” boasts. The two films will have a heck of a feat ahead of them next year during the lead-up to their releases, which will also thrust lip-locking pals Bullock and Streep against each other at the box office”. Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tracey Ullman is in negotiations to join the growing cast of Into the Woods, Disney’s adaptation of the Broadway musical being directed by Rob Marshall. Ullman will join an all-star roster that is likley to include Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Emily Blunt, all of whom are in various stages of negotiations to be part of the production. The play is a darkly comic mashup of classic fairy tales that revolves around a childless baker and his wife (Blunt), who attempt to lift a family curse by journeying into the woods to confront the witch that put the spell on them. Along the way, they encounter a group of characters including Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Ullman will play the mother to Jack the Giant Killer, who has yet to be cast. Streep is playing a witch and Depp is taking on a variation of the fairy tale wolf. Gyllenhaal and Pine play princes to Cinderella and Rapunzel. Many thanks to Frank and Glenn for the heads-up.

At the Public Theater’s 2013 gala at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park last night, Sting, Steve Martin and Meryl Streep had prime seats for a one-night-only performance of “The Pirates of Penzance,” starring Kevin Kline as the Pirate King and Martin Short as Major-General Stanley, a sure recipe for hilarity. Streep took the stage before the performance to say a few words about her friend Nora Ephron. Streep recalled a dinner with Ephron. “I bubbled to our tablemates, ’Bon Appetit,’” Streep said, doing a perfect imitation of Julia Child. “And she gave me a sideways look and said, ’I have a thought.’”

Warner Home Video has recently released a 40 film collection of Clint Eastwood’s career, including a new one-hour documentary. Many of his colleagues and friends, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, Gene Hackman, and his leading ladies Hilary Swank, Marcia Gay Harden and Meryl Streep are interviewed. An excerpt has been added to the video archive, in which Meryl talks about “The Bridges of Madison County” and gives an uncanny “Unforgiven” impression. Screenaptures have been added as well.

According to Vulture, Emily Blunt is confirmed for “Into the Woods”. They also mention Jake Gyllenhaal’s involvement, although this hasn’t been confirmed as of now. Blunt has been speculated to be joining already confirmed stars Meryl Streep (as The Witch) and Johnny Depp (as The Wolf) in the project. Jake Gyllenhaal is also presumedly involved (as a Prince) according to many reports, as is 2012 Tony Award winner James Corden (as The Baker) and Smash star Megan Hilty (as a Stepsister). “I can’t believe I’m playing in two movies with Meryl where she’s playing someone who’s horrible to me,” Blunt reveals. “I’m so excited,” she says. Filming on “Into the Woods” is set to begin in the UK later this Summer. Casting confirmation for Blunt’s role – and the others – has yet to be officially confirmed by Disney. Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Jane Fonda, who is currently tipped for an Emmy Nomination for her performance in “The Newsroom” recently sat down for a live Chat with GoldDerby to discuss her recent success, her career and, among other Topics, Meryl’s Screen debut in the 1977 Fonda film “Julia”. Although Meryl’s performance in “Julia” lasts for only a minute, it’s very interesting to see Fonda revisit this performance and the impact it had on her her. The full conversation can be here, starting around 24:40 minutes Many thans to Glenn for the heads-up. Miss Fonda’s quote is below:

It was a scene where Lillian Hellman had just opened on Broadway with her play, Little Foxes, and it was a magnificent triumph… Lillian is walking through Sardi’s and the camera panned with me… and then the camera stopped and I walk off camera, and Anne Marie walks on camera and stops – and that was Meryl. What she did in just a few seconds with her face and her hand… my hair stood on end. “I was in the process of casting Coming Home and I called my producing partner, Bruce Gilbert, and I said, ‘Listen, it’s a weird name, Meryl Streep, but I’m telling you not since Geraldine Page have I seen anything like this; try to get her in the part.’ “She wasn’t free, she was doing a Tennessee Williams play but I feel privileged to have been present at her screen debut… It was breathtaking.

It’s been some time since I have added flipbooks to Simply Streep, so here are two new ones to make up for the time. Thanks to Joan for bringing both ideas to my attention, the first became a favorite while creating it: Have a look at Meryl’s Connections with numerous cast members of the Long running “Law & Order”, I’m sure there’ll be some surprises for you. Just like the second new flipbook, about Meryl’s co-stars who once made it big on television. So, have fun flipping and guessing. If you have another good idea for a flipbook, let me know.

The Inquirer has recently interviewed Hilary Swank after wrapping her scenes for “The Homesman”, Tommy Lee Jones’ upcoming western starring himself, Swank and Meryl Streep. “It’s a dream come true—I’m in a movie with Meryl Streep,” Hilary Swank happily informed us of being cast with arguably the greatest living actress, in “The Homesman.” Then, Hilary added, “But I don’t have one scene with Meryl! I thought, ‘Well, on the days that I’m not working, I’m going to be a fly on the wall. I’m just going to watch Meryl – but, she wasn’t even in the same location! I did all my work in New Mexico. When we wrapped there recently, they went to Georgia.” Hilary admitted that it was “nice to have a dress on after all that time out there” in New Mexico to shoot “The Homesman,” being directed by Tommy Lee Jones who, along with Wesley Oliver and Kieran Fitzgerald, wrote the screenplay adaptation of Glendon Swarthout’s western novel of the same title, set around 1855.

“I was on the prairie for the last 60 days,” Hilary reported. “My character (Mary Bee Cuddy) is a farmer—I plow the fields and pump for water. My hands are all beat up.” The actress plays the title role, a “homesman” who must escort several women who lost their minds back to civilization. She teams up with an unlikely partner, George Briggs (Tommy Lee), a claim jumper. According to Hilary, Meryl plays Altha Carter, who collects the insane women to help bring them home. Also in the cast are Fil-Am actress Hailee Steinfeld, James Spader, John Lithgow, Tim Blake Nelson, Miranda Otto, William Fichtner and Grace Gummer (Meryl’s daughter). “It was an absolutely wonderful experience,” said Hilary of filming “The Homesman.” “It was right up there with my ‘Million Dollar Baby’ experience. I’m sad that it’s all over. It’s nice when you get your butt kicked to step up to the plate, and challenge yourself every day and in a new way with artists all across the board. The complete article can be read here.

Many thanks to Simona for contributing scans from Ciak (Italy, June 1989), covering Meryl’s appearance at the Cannes Film Festival and the release of “A Cry in the Dark”, as well as two additional pictures of from festival earlier in 1989, where Meryl won Best Actress. Enjoy.