She's played murderous spouses, conniving senators and demonic magazine editors. But now Meryl Streep is gearing up to tackle the most villainous role of her career to date: Margaret Thatcher.
OK, OK, before you protest, we're only kidding about the villainous thing. But The World's Greatest Actress (trademark, copyright, all rights reserved) will indeed be tackling the austere tones and copying the terrifying stare of Britain's only female PM, in a new film called The Iron Lady.
And, just to render things slightly more surreal, the film will be directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who directed Streep in the worldwide smashit, Mamma Mia!
At the moment, Streep is only in talks to take on the role of Maggie Thatcher, but we imagine she'll soon sign on for a movie that's being touted as a biopic. Producer Damien Jones had been working on another Thatcher movie, based around the Falklands War, but he seems to have settled on this one, which should be more encompassing, instead.
Thatcher's life is an extraordinary one, no matter which side of the political divide you plant your flag.Overcoming institutionalised sexism to become the first (and only) Conservative leader by 1975, at the age of 49. Becoming the first (and only) female PM just four years later. The Falklands War. The milk snatching debacle. The coal miners' strikes. Presiding over the country for eleven years, and three terms, before she resigned in 1990, famously driving away from 10 Downing Street in tears. And that's just the tip of a very large iceberg. Heck of an achievement, heck of a lady, heck of a role.
Abi Morgan wrote the script, which Pathe hope to get before the cameras by December. Jim Broadbent is in talks to play Thatcher's husband, Denis, a further sign that this could be some seriously good material. As long as there's no singing this time around...