Whoopi Goldberg and Kathy Bates Join 'Earthbound' Film

According to reports from Variety, Kathy Bates and Whoopi Goldberg will both be a part of the Film Department's "Earthbound"- also starring Kate Hudson and Gael Garcia Bernal. 

"Earthbound" began production on January 18 in New Orleans and is fully financed by the Film Department. Other cast members include Rosemarie Dewitt, Lucy Punch, Romany Malco, Steven Weber and Treat Williams.

Nicole Kassell directs "Earthbound" from a screenplay written by Gren Wells. The story follows an impertinent woman who falls in love with her doctor. "Earthbound" will be produced by John Davis, Mark Gill, Robert Ktaz, and Adam Schroeder with executive producers Neil Sacker and Michael Goguen.

Kathy Bates most recent role was in "The Blind Side." Bates has won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. Her Broadway appearances include Lanford Wilson's FIFTH OF JULY and the Robert Altman-directed COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAD, JIMMY DEAN opposite Karen Black and Cher. She received a Tony Award nomination in 1983 for her stage role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘NIGHT, MOTHER opposite Anne Pitoniak. The production of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER ran for more than a year. One of her other successful New York stage productions was Off-Broadway, in Terrence McNally's FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE which ran 533 performances. McNally specifically wrote the play for Bates and F. Murray Abraham, who had to drop out and was replaced by Kenneth Welsh. The play was later filmed as "Frankie and Johnny," starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Goldberg is one of 10 people who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) Awards. Goldberg created THE SPOOK SHOW, a one-woman show devised of different character monologues, in 1983. This show would later evolve into Broadway's acclaimed WHOOPI, directed by Mike Nichols, which ran from October 24, 1984 to March 10, 1985 for a total of 156 sold-out performances. Goldberg has also made appearances in Broadway shows including XANADU, Ma Rainey'S BLACK BOTTOM, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, and most recently, THE LION KING (for which she voiced the hyena in the original animated Disney film). She has also served as Producer for numerous shows like THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

 

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