Here’s an unexpected bit of last-minute recasting. Jessica Lange apparently will be subbing in for Glenn Close on the set of Therese Raquin, according to EW.com. The period love triangle co-stars Martha Marcy May Marlene star Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Felton, forever remembered as Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series. Charlie Stratton will direct.
There’s no mention in the piece of why Close left the production, which we first started reporting on back in November 2011. And Close reportedly was shepherding this remake of Emile Zola’s erotic thriller along for years. Not quite with the passion she brought to Albert Nobbs, for which she received an Oscar nomination, but still, to have her exit with no explanation is odd.
In Close’s absence, Lange now will play the title character, Olsen’s domineering aunt who watches as her niece engages in a passionate affair with her husband’s (Felton) best friend (Oscar Isaacs).
Obviously, transitioning from Close to Lange is a lateral move (if not an upgrade). The latter has two Oscar wins under her belt, and recently won the 2009 Emmy for Grey Gardens She earned raves for her performance in the FX series American Horror Story and has proven over the years an ability to play virtually any character. She will not have as much prep time for Raquin, which is in pre-production yet doesn’t have a release date. But if any actress can hit the ground running an tighten up slack on her prep schedule, it’s Lange. I just hope we learn what happened to Close, and why she decided to exit a role that sounded right up her alley.
