Just last week, we bemoaned the news that Lindsay Lohan was “in early talks” to play Elizabeth Taylor in an upcoming Lifetime movie. But now, a blabby producer has proven two points in a recent chat with E! News – one, it’s bad news to report on “early talks” and two, it’s pretty likely that big names (even tarnished ones like Lohan, especially tarnished ones like Lohan) are getting tossed out into the press to drum up interest in what will likely be a throwaway TV movie. So why keep covering this? Because I cannot wait to see how it shakes out.
Larry Thompson, the executive producer of Liz and Dick reportedly told E! News that Lohan is not the only actress in talks for the role – Megan Fox is also a possibility. Thompson said, “I’ve been talking to Lindsay Lohan directly, and with her reps, and have been in conversations with other actresses, including Megan Fox.” However, Thompson reportedly gave E! News a lesson in how Hollywood works, as he “added that being in talks with more than one actress is not meant as an affront to the talent involved, but rather is simply de rigueur for projects of this nature.” Too true, Thompsy. He continued, “it’s a very serious selection. It’s like casting for Hollywood royalty.” No, it is casting for Hollywood royalty.
Should Lohan be worried? Well, yeah, probably. Another loose-lipper told E! that “Lohan is still one of the frontrunners for the role, her probation status is ‘a complication.’” That is a lot of bad news for Lohan in one sentence – “one of the frontrunners,” “a complication.” Burn. But does that mean that Fox is next in line? Or some other actress who has yet to prove she’s worthy of playing someone like Taylor on-screen? Undetermined at this time, though a part of me does suspect that someone will soon interview Thompson at another big event and he’ll throw them another casting possibility bone, like Cher or Emma Roberts, or someone even less suited for the role. The good news is, however, that Liz and Dick is supposed to get in front of cameras this spring, so we don’t have too much time to worry about who will get cast in this Lifetime movie.
All snark aside, let’s do some dream-casting of our own – who would you cast to play Liz in Liz and Dick? The film will reportedly focus on the epic Taylor-Burton love story, which began in Taylor’s early thirties, so keep that age in mind. [E! News, via The Playlist]