August: Osage County to become film

As reported by Variety last week, a film version of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning drama August: Osage County is in the very early stages of planning, with no schedule or budget yet announced. More importantly, there’s been no discussion of casting. The play is very much a product of Steppenwolf Theatre Company and its ensemble of actors, with Letts writing a role specifically for Ensemble Member Amy Morton. However, among the original cast of August, none have done much substantial television or film work. Will Letts be willing to let major stars step into the lead roles in order to garner greater profits? Perhaps Meryl Streep as boozy matriarch Violet Weston (who, the play mentions, was once caught smuggling prescription pills in her, uh, vagina)? Ashley Judd as Johnna, the Native American housekeeper? Hollywood has surely made stranger stunt casting choices.

Letts has begun work on the screenplay for August, but this isn't the first time he's converted one of his plays into a film. The 2007 film version of his 2004 sleaze-filled play Bug (directed by William Friedkin) has grossed just over $8 million worldwide.

Here, a few members of the original cast mug for the cameras before the show opened on Broadway: