‘Patsy & Loretta’: Megan Hilty & Jessie Mueller To Star In Lifetime Movie About Country Music Icons; Neil Meron Producing
Lifetime has greenlighted Patsy & Loretta, an original movie about the friendship between country music stars Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. Smash alum Megan Hilty will play Cline, whose hits included “Crazy” and “I Fall to Pieces,” and Broadway’s Waitress star Jessie Mueller is set as the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” singer.
Set to film this month on location in Nashville, Patsy & Loretta will be executive produced by Neil Meron, in his first solo project since the death of longtime producing partner Craig Zadan. Oscar-winning Thelma & Louise writer Callie Khouri is directing, and Mark Nicolson is co-EP.
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Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn
When the singers first met, Cline already was one of the biggest stars in country music and Lynn was starting out with little to her name but a $17 guitar. Instead of seeing the newcomer as competition, Cline took Lynn under her wing to help her make it in Nashville. They soon became close friends, touring together, bonding over their husband troubles and commiserating on being females in the male-dominated music business.
But tragedy struck in 1963, when Cline was killed in a plane crash at age 30. Despite her loss, Lynn continued to record and tour and today is known as the First Lady of Country Music. At 86, she remains grateful to Cline for her mentorship and, above all, friendship.
Cline and Lynn’s respective daughters, Julie Fudge and Patsy Lynn Russell, are set to co-produce Patsy & Loretta, and Angelina Burnett penned the script. Sony Pictures Television is the studio. The film is slated to air this year on Lifetime.
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