She kind of is already, right? Meryl is Meryl like Madonna is Madonna, like Beyonce is Beyonce, like Adele is Adele, like Lorde is Lorde. Meryl is Hollywood’s rock star (sorry Johnny), so it makes sense that she will now play a rock star. Deadline is reporting that Meryl is set to star in Ricki and the Flash, in which she’ll play a rock star who wrecked her family in pursuit of her dream. Diablo Cody wrote the script and Jonathan Demme is directing. That’s a very attractive group of people, and there’s been a lot of interest in the project, which is finalizing a financing and distribution deal.
And now reason #4,237 to love Meryl: She is single-handedly advancing the cause of female writers and directors in Hollywood. In her “Women and Hollywood” blog, Inkoo Kang at Indiewire points out that nearly half of Meryl’s last eleven movies have been written and/or directed by women. Streep is making this choice deliberately—she’s committed to promoting women’s voices in cinema. Because that’s what it takes to diversify—a choice, and a commitment.
And what is the reward of that commitment? Over the last six years, Meryl’s movies (not counting voice over work) have grossed $515,666,325 in domestic box office. They combined for eleven Oscar nominations and two wins (one of which was Meryl’s third Oscar). Over those six years, five of her films were written and/or directed by women, including the Oscar nominated Julie & Julia and The Iron Lady.
Six years, half a billion dollars, two Oscars, and five female filmmakers. Diversity is good business.
Attached: Meryl Streep attends 'A Conversation With Meryl Streep' presented by the University of Massachusetts Lowell Chancellor's Speaker Series at Tsongas Center
