Filmmaker John Waters says he’s found the leading lady for his next movie but doesn’t yet have the funds to make it.
Waters confirmed at an appearance in Los Angeles over the weekend that Aubrey Plaza has been cast to star as Marsha Sprinkle in the film adaptation of his 2022 novel “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.”
But he told an audience at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures that he’s still working to secure funds to proceed with the project, which he has promised to film in Baltimore if it moves ahead.
Village Roadshow Pictures optioned the novel in the fall of 2022 and said Waters would write the script and direct the film. If the project moves ahead, it would be an economic boost for the city.
“The book was optioned. I turned in the script. They like the script, but we don’t have the money to make it,” Waters told the museum audience last weekend, according to Variety.com. As for Plaza, “I’m thrilled that she’s going to [star in it], but we don’t have the money yet,” Variety quoted him as saying.
Plaza, or a representative, posted on a fan site on Facebook that she has been cast.
“Well, after a flurry of rumors, Myself (Aubrey Plaza) is officially cast in John Waters’ first film in 20 years: ‘Liarmouth,’ “ says a post on the “Aubrey Plaza’s World” Facebook page that essentially repeated a sentence from an April 8 article in IndieWire.com.
Waters was in Los Angeles for a series of events connected with the Academy Museum’s blockbuster retrospective of his film career: “John Waters: Pope of Trash.” His comments about the status of “Liarmouth” and Plaza’s involvement came when he was answering questions from the audience at one point.
“Liarmouth” is the story of Marsha Sprinkle, a thief and scammer who steals luggage at the airport, and her efforts to stay ahead of the law. “Dogs and children hate her,” the book jacket says. “Her own family wants her dead. She’s smart, she’s desperate, she’s disturbed, and she’s on the run with a big chip on her shoulder. They call her Liarmouth – until one insane man makes her tell the truth.”
Plaza, 39, starred as intern April Ludgate in the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” and was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as Harper Spiller in Season 2 of “The White Lotus.” Her movies include “Emily the Criminal,” “Black Bear,” “Ingrid Goes West,” and “Scott Pilgrim vs the World.” Time magazine named her one of its “100 most influential people” in 2023.
Shortly after plans were disclosed for a movie version of “Liarmouth,” the Delaware-born actress told Dazeddigital.com that she’d “do anything” for the role of Marsha Sprinkle. She told Dazed that “I even look like the girl on the cover” of the book. During a stage appearance with Plaza in San Francisco last May, Waters acknowledged her strong interest. “If I ever direct a movie again, I hope you’ll be in it,” he told her.
Plaza now joins Ricki Lake; Kathleen Turner; Melanie Griffith; Tracey Ullman; and Mink Stole as women selected for primary roles in a John Waters feature.
Waters, 77, typically answers audience questions at the end of his spoken-word performances and other appearances around the country, and that helps keep his fans informed about his many different projects. The status of “Liarmouth” has been a source of questions since the film adaptation was announced.
Last weekend, Waters emphasized that “Liarmouth” can’t move ahead unless it’s funded. He mentioned a second project, a film called “Fruitcake,” that he’s hoping to realize.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, and so I’m trying to get ‘Fruitcake’ going too. We’ll see,” he told the audience.
Waters said in an email message this week that he didn’t break any news with his remarks at the Academy Museum, but what he said made headlines in a number of publications and websites that cover the movie industry. Besides Variety and IndieWire, articles have appeared this week in: thefilmstage.com; IMDb.com; edgemedianetwork.com; theplaylist.net; worldofreel.com; Yahoo Movies Canada and comingsoon.net, among others.
