Bridesmaid star and soon-to-be-Ghostbuster Melissa McCarthy is closing a deal to headline Can You Ever Forgive Me, a dark comedy based on the memoir of novelist and playwright Lee Israel.
Variety has the scoop, confirming that the adaptation is to be directed by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) from a script penned by Nicole Holofcener. Production has currently been penciled in to start later this year, lending McCarthy some downtime after donning the Proton Pack in Paul Feig’s blockbuster.
When it comes to Can You Ever Forgive Me, though, the fan-favorite actress will be trading the paranormal for profiles of the biggest names in entertainment. Set against the 1970s, Lee Israel made ends meet by profiling a series of movie stars and other celebrities – chief among them being Katharine Hepburn and Tallulah Bankhead, along with Estee Lauder.
But Israel’s reign at the top was short-lived, ultimately succumbing to lies and deception after “selling letters that she had forged from deceased writers and actors,” a fall from grace aided by her loyal friend Jack. Only in 1993 did Israel plead guilty to the forgeries, at which point the scribe’s career and reputation was left in tatters.
Once attracting the attention of Julianne Moore, it appears Melissa McCarthy will take point for the Lee Israel memoir. Currently there’s no word of other casting news for Can You Ever Forgive, though fans can look forward to the actress headlining Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot alongside her fellow supernatural experts on July 15.
