In an interview with Vanity Fair, Annie Mumolo, co-writer of Bridesmaids and Bad Moms star, reveals that she’s working on an adaptation of Patrick Dennis’ 1955 novel Auntie Mame for the very Auntie Mame-ish Tilda Swinton.
The book chronicles the comic adventures of a young boy living with his eccentric (read: free-thinking and independent) aunt after his father dies. In 1958, Warner Brothers released a film adaptation that starred Rosalind Russell as the titular heroine. Russell was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her performance. The film went on to become the highest-grossing U.S. film the following year because viewers found no end to the hilarity of a woman making her own decisions every day.
Mumolo, who was nominated for a screenwriting Oscar for Bridesmaids and also has a writing credit on David O. Russell’s Joy, said she became involved with the project when Swinton reached out via email as a fan of Bridesmaids. We expect Swinton was attracted to the sometimes painfully funny portrayal of camaraderie and competition among female friends in that film, but we also like to picture the typically ceremonial actress laughing hysterically while watching Melissa McCarthy shit in a sink. Apparently, after Bridesmaids, Swinton and Mumolo became pen pals and eventually began discussing Auntie Mame. According to Mumolo:
[Tilda] is, like, from another world. She’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever encountered. … Her emails are like works of art, truly. They should be published. The way she communicates is just beautiful and poetic. … She asked me, “Have you read Auntie Mame? … Would you take a look at it? I want to see if you are interested in writing a modern-day adaptation.” I said yes, because you say yes to Tilda Swinton when she asks if you want to do something.
Mumolo eventually brought on Stan Chervin, the Oscar-nominated Moneyball co-screenwriter, to help with the adaptation, which of course will star Swinton. Unfortunately, it’s going to take quite a lot of tweaking to make the new Auntie Mame the highest-grossing movie of the year. But the original novel isn’t very plot-heavy, so there’s plenty of room to reveal that Mame has superpowers and then usher in the Avengers.