Perhaps one of the more unlikely box-office powerhouses among on-screen couples in recent years are Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep; their pairings on “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Julie & Julia” are among the best of their genre in the last few years, both were huge hits and the two are clearly great friends in real life. Tucci played in support to Streep in both those pictures, but it looks like the dynamic may be shifting…
CAA are shopping a package around town for a comedy entitled “Mommy & Me,” which would see Tucci direct Streep and Tina Fey in a comedy/drama focusing on a mother/daughter relationship, and we’ve got to admit it’s an enticing prospect. Tucci hasn’t directed for some time, but his debut “Big Night” (which was co-helmed with Campbell Scott) is a hall-of-famer for us, and his follow ups “The Impostors,” “Joe Gould’s Secret” and “Blind Date” are all undervalued, mostly because no one in the world actually saw them.
It all sounds like it’s early stages yet — there’s no writer on board, and it hasn’t landed at a studio, although Sony are apparently close to signing the project up. There’s also no word if Tucci will also appear in the film, although he will produce, alongside Steve Buscemi (!) and Wren Arthur, his partners in Oliver Productions. Our only concern is that Fey, while indisputably a great comedian, hasn’t flexed her dramatic muscles much to date and risks being blown out of the water by her co-star. But if she can rise to the challenge, this will be one we really look forward to. [LA Times]
