Universal is making a movie out of a wife’s “dating ad” for her widowed husband

By William Hughes | May 17, 2017 | 3:59am

Aux Features Film

Earlier this year—ten days before her death from ovarian cancer—celebrated author and memoirist Amy Krouse Rosenthal posted a column that served as an unorthodox dating ad to The New York Times. The subject of the effusive praise, charming anecdotes, and frequent reminders of general greatness? Krouse Rosenthal’s husband, Jason. “You May Want To Marry My Husband” was both touching and funny its portrait of the desire for “more”—more life, more love, more time—so it’s not surprising that Hollywood quickly moved, after a pause in honor of its author’s passing, to adapt it for film.

Now, Universal has emerged from a bidding war for the rights to the column. Per Variety, the project is now in the hands of producer Marc Platt, whose credits include La La Land and Legally Blonde. It now falls to Platt to find a team that can translate Krouse Rosenthal’s prose—which manages to paint her situation as sad and sweet and funny without being sappy or maudlin—to the screen.