Casting Call: Widows
In which we suggest who should star in the next big adaptation, remake, or historical film.
Steve McQueen, jumping from the success of 12 Years a Slave, will be writing and directing a remake of the ’80s British miniseries The Widows. New Regency will finance the film and Iain Canning and Emile Sherman of The King‘s Speech will produce. Based on a crime series written by Lynda La Plante, the television show followed three armed robbers who died during a botched heist. The security van they were raiding caught fire in the Kingsway Tunnel, leaving their wives to deal with mounting pressure from a rival gang and the police. The widows decided to finish their husbands’ job with the help of another woman. They successfully nab the cash, but soon realize that one of the men escaped before the car crash, and he wants his money back. Badly.
In 2002, ABC made a U.S. version of the miniseries with some minor plot changes and McQueen’s adaptation will continue from this remake; it will be set in an American city and feature four widows. McQueen was in his teens when the TV showed originally aired, and rumors have it that he was a huge fan. Who wouldn’t be? The widows are a daring team of vigilante criminals–they’re Charlie’s Angels with a badass, rule-breaking spin. We can’t wait to see how McQueen tackles female empowerment in the confines of a heist thriller film and in anticipation, we chose our dream cast.
Casting Call runs every Friday. For more, click here.
