FormerMr. Robot,Lincoln andFalling Skies actress Gloria Reuben has been cast in two new productions, an adaptation of the Stephen King novelFirestarterand anthology-style TV seriesThe First Lady. The two productions are created by Blumhouse, Weed Road and Universal (Firestarter) and Showtime (The First Lady) respectively. The two roles will mark Reuben’s 75th and 76th acting credits.
Gloria Reubenis a Canadian actress, singer and published author who began her acting career on CBS’Schoolbreak Specialin 1987. She starred in a number of television series prior to her feature-length debut in 1989’sImmediate Family. Switching between TV and feature length films, Reuben has featured in productions such asCold Blooded(2000),Happy Here and Now(2002),Mr. Robot(2015-2019) andCity on a Hill (2019-2021). The actress has also won seven academy awards, several forBest Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Reuben will no longer be in the supporting cast, and can now set her sights on a different set of awards, with her set to take a leading role in Keith Thomas' adaptation ofStephen KingthrillerFirestarterfromBlumhouse. The movie will focus on a young girl who discovers the ability to set objects on fire with her mind, while those around her struggle with the implications of this power. Other cast members include Zac Efron as Andy McGee, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Charlie and Michael Greyeyes as Rainbird.
Firestarter had first been adapted for the big screen in 1984, when Drew Barrymore featured asCharlie, the young girl who gains the incendiary powers. The upcoming revival has been in production since 2017. The movie becomes the latest in a string of recent Stephen King adaptations, includingIt,It: Chapter Two,Pet Sematary andDoctor Sleep, a sequel to 1980’sThe Shining.
The script forFirestarter will be adapted for the big screen by Scott Teems. The writer has also worked on projects such asHalloween Kills,Rectify,That Evening Sun andNarcos: Mexico. Academy award winner Akiva Goldsman and Jason Blum will produce the feature, which currently has no expected release date set.
Meanwhile,The First Ladywill focus on the First Ladies of many US Presidents from over the years and how their actions have come to affect the history of the United States. The series is now in its second season and features Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. Gloria Reuben is set to star as Valerie June Jarrett in the latest season ofThe First Lady, a senior advisor to President Obama.
The First Ladyis creator Aaron Cooley’s second writing credit, after TV miniseriesBest. Worst. Weekend. Ever., and fourth producing credit followingThe Talk,Twelve andBlood Creek.Cooley has also served as director Joel Schumacher’s Head of Development in the past. Schumacher has directed movies such asBatman Forever,Batman & Robin,The Phantom of the Opera,A Time to KillandThe Number 23 during his time.
