Variety reports that Naomi Watts and Jessica Lange have signed on to co-star in the upcoming indie The Secret Life Of The Lonely Doll. The feature will be directed by Gia Coppola, who wrote and directed James Franco’s Palo Alto, based on the short story collection by Franco. The Secret Life Of The Lonely Doll was adapted for screen by Merritt Johnson (Temple Grandin) and follows the story of Dare Wright, author of a bestselling children’s book from the 1950s called The Lonely Doll. The Secret Life pieces together Wright’s fractured life that was both glamorous and isolating—much like the life of a lonely doll, presumably. Journalist Jean Nathan wrote the book after finding Wright living out her final days in a run-down public hospital in Queens, New York, decades after Wright became a household name for The Lonely Doll.
Lange recently escaped American Horror Story hell, leaving a very apparent vacancy for Hotel. Apparently, she’s in talks to return, because one can never truly escape the clenched fist of Ryan Murphy. In the meantime, she has taken on a starring role on Broadway in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which opens next month. She’ll also appear in the upcoming comedy feature Wild Oats, which also stars Demi Moore and Shirley MacLaine. Watts can currently be seen in The Divergent Series: Allegiant, and she also stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Demolition, which will open in limited release next month.