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Updated on 10/26/21
It doesn’t look like Kathryn Hahn will be playing Joan Rivers after all.
A limited series based on the iconic comedian’s life, which was going to be called The Comeback Girl, was announced just last month. But, according to Variety, the show will not be moving forward anymore
The reason? The producers were not able to secure Rivers’ life rights, which are currently held by her daughter, Melissa Rivers.
They would’ve still been able to make the show without the life rights, but it would’ve had to be labeled as an unauthorized series. Because of this, they wouldn’t have been able to use any of Rivers’ legendary jokes. Not to mention, they could’ve run into some issues with Rivers’ family.
There may be a Joan Rivers movie or film released at some point, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon.
Original story (9/22/21)
From one limited series to the next! Kathryn Hahn is on fire.
After wowing fans as Agatha Harkness in WandaVision, Kathryn Hahn has locked down her next big role, playing comedy legend Joan Rivers.
In fact, the 48-year-old will be playing the standup icon in a new limited series from Showtime called The Comeback Girl.
From when the show will take place to who is directing the series, keep reading!
The Comeback Girl will be produced by Warner Bros. Television, Atlas Entertainment, and Berlanti Productions. Along with starring in the project, Kathryn is also set to executive produce the series.
Greg Berlanti, who is best known for working on shows such as The Flash and movies like Love, Simon, is set to direct the series, while Cosmo Carlson will write the episodes.
According to the show description on IMDB, the series will tell “the awe-inspiring untold story of Joan Rivers and how she rebuild herself and her career to become a global icon.”
Joan sadly passed away on September 4, 2014, at the age of 81, just days after she underwent a routine endoscopy on her throat. Her death impacted many, but especially the comedy world, as she was a trailblazer in the standup community for decades.
She began her standup career in New York in the 1960s, a time that wasn’t necessarily welcoming towards female comedians. But, despite having the odds stacked against her, Joan began appearing on The Tonight Show in the mid-’60s.
Joan was so great on The Tonight Show, in fact, she became Johnny Carson’s regular guest host in the ‘80s. However, she and Johnny had a falling out after she went to Fox to star in her own show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.
This move made her the first woman to host a late-night talk show, but it also put a major rift in her relationship with Johnny. In fact, he was so upset with her for taking the job that he actually banned her from ever appearing on The Tonight Show again.
The Comeback Girl is mostly going to take place following the cancellation of her talk show, which also happened to be right before her husband, Edgard Rosenberg, committed suicide.
The logline for the show, according to Variety, is, “Trailblazer. Adored. Cruel. Diva. Joan Rivers had a life like no other. At age 54, she was a superstar comedienne…and then it all fell apart. THE COMEBACK GIRL is the awe-inspiring untold story of how Joan Rivers persevered through near suicide and professional abyss to rebuild herself and her career to become a global icon.”
Count us in!
Despite losing out on the Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Emmy earlier this week, there’s no doubt Kathryn has the chance to win with her role in The Comeback Girl.
She is also set to star in the highly anticipated Knives Out sequel and the new series The Shrink Next Door, which also stars Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. Needless to say, Kathryn is doing just fine.
Are you excited to watch this limited series? Do you think Kathryn will do a good job as Joan? Let us know all your thoughts!
