Dianne Wiest Boards Noah Baumbach’s ‘The Corrections’ For HBO; Chris Cooper In Talks
Last month, I got very excited aboutreportsthatNoah Baumbachwould be adaptingThe Correctionsfor HBO. TheSquid and the Whaledirector struck me as a perfect pick to bringJonathan Franzen’s unhappy family tome to life. Today’s news makes me even more certain that HBO will do right by Franzen. The project, which is being directed by Baumbach and penned by Baumbach and Franzen, has now moved into casting — and the first two choices seem like truly fantastic ones.
Dianne Wiesthas signed on to play the part of put-upon wife Enid, whileChris Cooperhas entered talks to play her husband Alfred, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. More details after the jump.
Power producerScott Rudinfirst acquired the film rights a decade ago, but the project was never quite able to get off the ground. Rudin is executive producing the new TV series, along with Baumbach and Franzen.
Wiest and Cooper are both great talents who’d be great in just about anything, and I’m especially happy to see them here. Cooper may not have the star power ofDonald SutherlandorAnthony Hopkins— both of whom were previously rumored for the part of Alfred — but he’s a reliably excellent, Academy Award-winning actor who’s had plenty of experience playing prickly and even unlikeable roles. His last experience with HBO, the 2003 miniseriesMy House in Umbria, earned him an Emmy nomination. He will next appear in November’sThe Muppets, in which he plays Tex Richman.
For her part, Wiest is a two-time Oscar winner who should have no trouble capturing Enid’s desperation and vulnerability. Wiest has also worked with HBO previously — she was nominated twice (winning once) for her turn on the psych dramaIn Treatment. She’s currently co-starring in the bird-watching comedyThe Big Year, and will next star inThe Odd Life of Timothy GreenandDarling Companion.
