It’s happened to many, many movie stars in the past. Time has caught up to Julia Roberts. Once the reigning star of the big screen, she’s heading to television.
Roberts has signed to make a limited TV series for Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Productions. It’s Roberts’ first test of getting into TV, and at least she’s signed with a hot company known for quality product. Annapurna will then field offers from HBO, Showtime, Amazon, Netflix and so on.
For Julia, it’s inevitable as she heads into her 50s that TV in some form is her future. Many actresses have made the transition a triumph. Candice Bergen is the best example, with “Murphy Brown.” Bergen won many Emmys and made a small fortune with her show. And she was never the box office draw that Roberts was in the 90s.
But now Roberts has had to face facts. Her last real ‘hit’ movies were in 2010– “Eat Pray Love” and “Valentine’s Day.” She had an enormous run of $100 million movies ending with “Erin Brockovich” in 2000 and an Oscar for Best Actress. After that her biggest successes were in ensemble pieces like the “Oceans’ Eleven” series. Her last film, “Money Monster,” with George Clooney, was a disaster at $41 million. (By the way– where is George Clooney? I kind of miss him. Your break is over, George!)
Lots of stars are signing up for TV shows and mini series including Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore. But for Roberts, this is a smart career move. If Viola Davis can be in a TV series and still get Oscar nominations, I say follow that example!
