Jessica Chastain 'not attached to' Netflix adaptation of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jessica Chastain is back in the spotlight after a TikTok video of her refusing to sign a copy of author Taylor Jenkins Reid's popular book titled 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' went viral following her performance in the Broadway revival of 'A Doll's House' at the Hudson Theatre.
Jessica Chastain is one of the actresses who have been 'fan-cast' for the role of Celia St James, a famous actress and the love interest of the book's titular character which is being adapted for Netflix. However, the actress has now explained why she refused to sign a copy of the book. Continue reading to find out what Chastain had to say.
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'There is no news about anything'
Jessica Chastain is one of the industry's most beloved actresses, and fans were eager to cast her as Celia St James for Taylor Jenkins Reid's famous book titled 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo's big screen adaptation, but when she declined to sign a copy of the book, speculation about her being a part of the project arose, prompting Chastain to take to social media to clarify things.
I’ve been asked multiple times by fans, to sign books that I’m not attached to contractually. Because it feels wrong, and like Im taking credit for someone else’s work, I’ll say I cant sign because I’m not doing it. That doesn’t mean I’ve read a bad script.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) April 19, 2023
The actress wrote, “I’ve been asked multiple times by fans, to sign books that I’m not attached to contractually. Because it feels wrong, and like I’m taking credit for someone else’s work, I’ll say I can’t sign because I’m not doing it. That doesn’t mean I’ve read a bad script.” Chastain continued, “I know how excited many you are about adaptations. Please don’t read too much into a video. There is no news about anything. Except that I’m onstage till June 10th. Hope to see you”.
Who is Celia St James in ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’?
'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction novel that is split into seven parts, each of which is named after one of her husbands in an attempt to recount the story of her life during her marriages and affairs. The titles also include descriptive terms to highlight Hugo's feelings and opinions toward them.
Jessica Chastain was expected to play Celia St James, a talented actress who has a much quieter relationship with fame than Evelyn does. Evelyn's open sexual orientation draws the public's attention indefinitely, whereas Celia seeks the limelight to a lesser extent. Celia is more relaxed with her talent than Evelyn, and she knows and claims to be a better actress. But she is insecure about her relationship with Evelyn and wishes for a level of devotion that Evelyn struggles to provide.
BookTok is disappointed
When Jessica appeared on Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live' with Andy Cohen in January, she was asked about Netflix's upcoming adaptation of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and how many fans would love her to be a part of the film, to which she replied that she was aware of what was going on online and that she would send in her script.
Chastain's remark sent BookTok into a craze because they could see their desire coming true. Now that she has made clear that she is not associated with the novel, nor was she ever attached to the project, the book community is upset. However, they are hopeful that whoever gets cast for the part will do justice to the book because they believe it is a sensation in its own right.
Jessica Chastain’s upcoming projects
Jessica is currently starring on Broadway as Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen's play 'A Doll's House', a reimagined story about the lives of a group of middle-class Norwegians in 1879. Chastain has been cast opposite Anne Hathaway in the literary adaptation 'Mother's Instinct', which is a 1960s-set suburban drama and is a remake of Belgian director Olivier Masset-Depasse's 2018 film 'Duelles'. The plot follows two best friends and neighbors whose lives are upended by a tragic accident involving their respective sons. The 2018 film in turn, is based on Barbara Abel's novel 'Derrière la Haine'. Chastain will produce the movie through her Freckle Films label.
Chastain has also been cast in Misha Green's horror film 'I Am Not Alone', which is premised on a short story by Chris Hicks. The Oscar winner also stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ series 'The Savant' which is based on a Cosmopolitan magazine feature about an unnamed woman who invades online hate groups to track and avoid potential mass shootings.