Jamie Lee Curtis in Talks to Play Angela Lansbury’s Iconic Role in Movie "Murder, She Wrote"

Jamie Lee Curtis better is in early talks to star in a "Murder, She Wrote" film adaptation, playing the iconic Jessica Fletcher, a crime writer turned crack detective, who was at the center of the long-running original TV series that starred Angela Lansbury.

Universal Pictures is putting together an untitled feature film project around Fletcher, via producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal (all have overall deals on the Donna Langley-run studio lot). Early concepts around the character and any premise are currently unknown. 

The script is from Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (who penned “Dumb Money,” the GameStop stock scandal story that became a feature at Sony under Craig Gillespie).

Universal Television produced “Murder, She Wrote” which ran for 12 seasons starting in 1984. Lansbury became a household name thanks to her portrayal of an unusual gumshoe, often in perilous situations but always polite and clutching a sensible handbag. 

The series peaked at a reported 40 million viewers a week and still averaged around 25 million per episode through the end of its run.

It’s been nearly two years since Curtis nabbed the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” 

She is currently on the awards circuit for “The Last Showgirl,” Gia Coppola’s ode to the faded glamour girls of the Las Vegas strip, and will next appear in James L. Brooks’ “Ella McKay.”