Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis is officially stepping into the role of iconic sleuth Jessica Fletcher in a new big-screen adaptation of Murder, She Wrote, with Universal Pictures confirming a theatrical release date of Dec. 22, 2027.
The film will be directed by Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect), from a script by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo. Producing the project are Amy Pascal along with Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The character of Jessica Fletcher was originally portrayed by Angela Lansbury in the beloved CBS series of the same name, which aired from 1984-1996 and ran for 12 seasons. Set in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, the show followed a mystery novelist who repeatedly found herself solving local murders. At its peak, the series drew around 25 million viewers weekly and earned Lansbury 12 Emmy nominations.
A previous attempt to reboot the series for television with Octavia Spencer never moved forward after Lansbury voiced concerns, saying, “I think it’s a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote because Murder, She Wrote will always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person.” She later added she was “terribly pleased and relieved” when the project was scrapped. Lansbury passed away in 2022.
Curtis, known for roles in Halloween and Everything Everywhere All at Once, has expressed excitement about taking on the part, while keeping expectations in check. “It’s happening,” she said previously. “Very excited, but I’m tamping down my enthusiasm until we start shooting.”
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