Barbra Streisand to Direct First Film In 16 Years with Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett

06/21/12 1:27am Roger Friedman 3

Exclusive: Although it’s been alluded to, here’s the real story about Barbra Streisand’s return to directing. She’s agreed to direct “Skinny and Cat,” an epic love story about writer Erskine Caldwell and photojournalist Margaret Bourke White. Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett are officially attached, and Linda Yellen is producing from a script she wrote. Streisand is said to be very excited. Lynn Kressell is casting. The film will be independently financed, with CAA putting together the package.

The film has a go date for January 2013. Streisand last directed “The Mirror Has Two Faces” in 1996. It’s high time she was back behind the camera. There’s a reason Streisand was chosen to give Kathryn Bigelow her directing Oscar for “The Hurt Locker” a couple of years ago. That’s because Barbra early bucked a system that resisted female directors. But once she caused a stir with “Yentl,” in 1983, the doors opened for Penny Marshall, Amy Heckerling, Nora Ephron, Betty Thomas, Susan Seidelman and all the ladies who followed them. Producer Yellen is a good partner for Streisand: she has a long string of quality credits including the landmark television movie, “Playing for Time.”

Streisand has a full plate this fall. While preparing for “Skinny and Cat” she has those dates at Brooklyn’s new Barclay Center, already sold out. And she stars with Seth Rogen in “The Guilt Trip” coming out for Christmas. There’s also talk of recording a duets album. And she still has “Gypsy” on her docket. Nothing like staying busy!

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.