Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Jane Fonda, at 88, Will Try for a Third Oscar Starring in Film Version of “The Correspondent” Based on the Novel

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Jane Fonda is irrepressible.

With two Oscars on her resume, she will try for a third by starring in (and producing) “The Correspondent” after Lions Gate won a bidding war.

This is a film adaptation of the bestselling book by Virginia Evans.
“The Correspondent” has sold over a million copies.

Fonda has starred in several comedies since she returned to acting, but none them quite stuck the landing. Her biggest success has been the Netflix TV series, “Grace and Frankie,” with Lily Tomlin, which ran for seven seasons.

How Jane, at 88, has the time or energy to produce and star in a movie is anyone’s guess. Her ardent political activism seems to put her in the spotlight on a daily basis. But good for her. She’s a role model for not allowing grass to grow under your feet, as we used to say.

No director has been found yet, but I would go to Lasse Hallstrom. The script is being written by Cat Vasko, a Black List screenwriter who’s already signed up for a few different projects.

“The Correspondent” is described as centering on the unforgettable Sybil Van Antwerp, a sharp-witted, fiercely opinionated, retired lawyer who has long used letters to impose order on a complicated world — writing to friends, family, literary icons, and one elusive recipient whose message she has never sent. But when an unexpected letter from her past resurfaces, Sybil is forced to confront a long-buried chapter of grief, regret, and unresolved guilt.

Cross fingers will see this in 2027, which might mean an Oscar nomination for Fonda at age 90! By the way, she won Best Actress awards for “Klute” and “Coming Home” in the 1970s, and has a bunch more nominations.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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