Margaret Thatcher, otherwise known as the Iron Lady, was Britain’s Conservative Prime Minister from 1979-1990 (and managed to get elected for a then unprecedented three terms); she was a close ally of Ronald Regan (the man who famously stated after 39 American hostages were released in Lebanon, that “after seeing Rambo, I know what to do next time”), privatized a number of public companies, emphasized the market, and, despite her popularity doubling after British success in the Falklands War, was eventually forced to resign after her unpopular Poll tax plans, and views on the European Union, saw her leadership challenged from within her own party; but will soon be getting her own biopic movie.
The film is being developed by Pathe and BBC Films, with Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd heading the project, which will focus on the days immediately preceding the Falklands War in 1982; when Maggie’s popularity was severely failing her due to rising unemployment, and the deep recession that Britain found itself in, before the war famously reversed the standing in the polls, caused a huge surge in her popularity, and allowed her to sail through the 1983 election.
Damien Jones (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll) came up with the story, along with Brian Fillis (An Englishman in New York) who wrote the screenplay, and will produce the picture that’s due to reunite Phyllida with her Mamma Mia! star Meryl Streep , as she’s due to take on the role of the P.M. (as long as the current negotiations go well) who’s seen by half of the British public as the best governor we’ve ever had, and perceived to fall only a whisker short of bring the anti-Christ by the other half.
It’s another high-profile real-life role for Streep, who’s already tackled playing Karen Silkwood (Silkwood), Susan Orlean (Adaptation), and Julia Child (Julie & Julia), but has never had to pull off Thatcher’s accent on screen, or pretend to be married to Bridget Jones star Jim Broadbent (who’s in talks to play Maggie’s husband Denis).
There’s no word yet on a prospective shooting schedule, or release date as of yet, but so far it looks like this is yet another biopic that will turn out in a similar sort of style to the 2006 movie The Queen, and possibly bag another Oscar nomination for Meryl.
