Loretta Lynn & Patsy Cline The Focus of Upcoming Biopic
A film delving into the life and friendship of two of country music’s most iconic performers is set to be shot this month and released later in 2019. Called Patsy & Loretta, it will follow the careers of Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn as they intertwined in the early 60’s.
At the time, Patsy Cline was already an established star. Loretta Lynn was just getting started, showing up to Nashville with a $17 guitar. Instead of Patsy seeing Loretta as a potential competitor or replacement, she took the Coal Miner’s Daughter under her wing, and they soon became close friends, touring partners, and confidants, helping each other through the struggles of fame and familial problems.
Of course all of this changed when Patsy Cline died in 1963 at the age of 30 in a plane crash that also took the lives of Hankshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas. Meanwhile Loretta would go on to be known as the First Lady of Country Music, and is still recording and releasing music today at the age of 86.
Many familiar names are working on the Patsy & Loretta project, including Callie Khouri who wrote Thelma & Louise and was a major figure behind the recent Nashville television series. She will direct the film that will be shot on location in Nashville. Patsy Cline’s daughter Julie Fudge and Loretta Lynn’s daughter Patsy Lynn Russell will work on the film as co-producers. The script was written by Angelina Burnett, and the project will be executive produced by Neil Meron and Mark Nicolson. Sony Pictures Television is the studio for the film.
Megan Hilty, who appeared in the music drama series Smash as well as the theater adaptation of 9 to 5, will play Patsy Cline. Jessie Mueller, who won a Tony Award in 2014 for portraying Carol King in a musical will play Loretta Lynn. There is no debut date as of yet, but the film is expected to be broadcast on the Lifetime channel some time later in 2019.
March 17, 2019 @ 8:28 am
Lifetime still exists?
Expect the inevitable #metoo narrative for this one.
March 17, 2019 @ 4:54 pm
If you dont want it to be inevitable, then put some effort into making the harrassment of women less ubiquitous.
March 17, 2019 @ 9:07 pm
All I can do is control Me, so I’m doing my part. The harassment of women is ubiquitous? Idk about that, but yes, the less the better.
March 17, 2019 @ 8:43 am
This is gonna suck, big time.
And that’s unfortunate, because the idea is good.
March 17, 2019 @ 9:08 am
What a wet blanket you are. If you could just say something positive every once in a while, it may actually make what you say worth reading.
I agree “Lifetime” can be a repository for some pretty sappy stuff, but Callie Khouri rarely ascribes her name to bad projects. We thought the Dolly Parton movies would suck and they turned out pretty well. Gonna remain optimistic until have a reason not to.
March 17, 2019 @ 9:34 am
I said it’s a good idea. Isn’t that positive?
Callie Khouri is a political activist. She’s going to use this opportunity to turn the story of two legends, into a story about two poor, “oppressed” women, who relied on “girl-power” to overcome the “patriarchy”. Plus, there’s the Lifetime thing.
Trust me, it’s going to suck, big time.
March 17, 2019 @ 10:23 am
Given how tragically short-lived the actual friendship between these two feminine giants of the genre was, it is something that should be looked at much more closely. So much of today’s business is about artists COMPETING against one another, so, in my opinion, it’s a good thing to look at an actual flesh-and-blood friendship from a time when such things were infinitely more common.
March 17, 2019 @ 9:18 am
Wasn’t this kind of already done in Coal Miner’s Daughter?
March 17, 2019 @ 9:34 am
In Coal Miner’s Daughter, the Patsy/Loretta relationship was secondary to the plot. I think the relationship between these two women is fascinating and I am honestly looking forward to seeing this film.
Although I agree Lifetime puts on a lot of crap, I am going to remain optimistic about this. It seems promising (based on the names involved) and I am thrilled with the idea of these legendary ladies getting a spotlight… especially since it may highlight that two superstar women in Country Music can have a positive and supportive relationship.
March 17, 2019 @ 11:52 am
Anything that can raise the profile of these great singers with a younger generation is OK by me.
March 17, 2019 @ 12:42 pm
I always thought that the storyline connecting these two icons would make a great movie in itself. Loretta Lynn has been noted for “single-handedly resurrecting the legend of Patsy Cline by including a full chapter in the book of Coal Miner’s Daughter, recording a LP titled “I Remember Patsy,” and then the character in the Academy award winning movie of CMD. Patsy would be proud and appreciative.
March 17, 2019 @ 9:34 pm
Great idea.. I wish it could be well done movie in theaters or mini series. Not sure about lifetime. I love Loretta and Patsy so I will give it a try.
March 18, 2019 @ 7:22 am
I’ll take this over all the other Lifetime stuff the wife makes me sit through…
March 18, 2019 @ 7:59 pm
Yes! Can’t wait.