Michelle Williams in Talks for New SOUTH PACIFIC Film Adaptation; Producers Also Eyeing Hugh Jackman?

According to the Daily Mail, Michelle Williams is in talks to play "Nellie Forbush" in a new big-screen adaptation of the musical SOUTH PACIFIC, directed by Michael Mayer with a screenplay by Lynn Grossman based on James Michener's novel Tales of the South Pacific.

Read the original report here.

It is also rumored that SOUTH PACIFIC's producers are eyeing LES MIS star Hugh Jackman for the role of "De Becque", and someone like Justin Timberlake for "Lieutenant Cable", although nothing has been confirmed. The film has yet to enter pre-production.

Williams showed off her chops in a scene from 2011's My Week With Marilyn, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. She has also received Academy Award nominations for her performances in Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine. Her other film credits include the recent Oz the Great and Powerful, Take This Waltz, Meek's Cutoff, Shutter Island, Mammoth, Synecdoche, New York, Deception, Incendiary, Imaginary Heroes, Land of Plenty, Me Without You, Perfume and many more. She also appeared in the TV series Dawson's Creek.

SOUTH PACIFIC's film producers include Bob Balaban, Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman and Denis Wigman.

The musical, with music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, opened in 1949 at the Majestic Theatre, starring Mary Martin as "Nellie Forbush" and Ezio Pinza as "Emile de Becque". The production ran for 1,925 performances through 1954 and won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as Tony Awards for scenic design, direction, best actor and actress, original score, best musical and more. SOUTH PACIFIC was revived in 1955 at the New York City Center starring Sandra Deel and Richard Collett, then again in 2010, featuring Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Danny Burstein and more.