The Great Lillian Hall

The Great Lillian Hall
Promotional poster
Screenplay by	Elisabeth Seldes Annacone
Directed by	Michael Cristofer
Starring	Jessica Lange Kathy Bates Lily Rabe Jesse Williams Pierce Brosnan
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Tom Cappello Jessica Lange Kathy Bates Michael Cristofer Alex Platis
Producers	Bruce Cohen Steven Rogers Scott Thigpen Marie Halliday George Scarles
Cinematography	Simon Dennis
Editor	Joseph Krings
Running time	110 minutes
Production companies	HBO Films Crazy Legs Features Kolton Pancake Bold Choices Productions
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	May 31, 2024 (2024-05-31)

The Great Lillian Hall is an American television film directed by Michael Cristofer from a screenplay by Elisabeth Seldes-Annacone.

The film stars Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Jesse Williams, and Pierce Brosnan. It premiered on HBO on May 31, 2024. The film is loosely inspired by American stage actress Marian Seldes, who was the aunt of screenwriter Elisabeth Seldes Annacone.^[1]

Cast

• Jessica Lange as Lillian Hall
• Kathy Bates as Edith Wilson
• Lily Rabe as Margaret Tanner
• Jesse Williams as David
• Pierce Brosnan as Ty Maynard

Production

The film was originally announced in 2021 under the title Places, Please with Meryl Streep attached in the lead role. Filming would take place in New York City.^[2][3] Production ended up starting in May 2023 in Georgia with a cast led by Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Lily Rabe^[4] and wrapped at the end of June 2023.^[5] It is a Crazy Legs Features production.

It was announced in May 2024 that the film, now called The Great Lillian Hall, was set to air on HBO and the main cast also included Jesse Williams and Pierce Brosnan.^[6][7]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.^[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[9]

References

1. "Broadway To Dim Its Lights Tomorrow Night at 7:45pm In Memory of Premier Stage Actress Marian Seldes". The Broadway League. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
2. Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 25, 2021). "Meryl Streep, Michael Cristofer Team For Broadway Homage Film 'Places, Please;' As Pic Hits EFM, They Describe Their Hopes For Post-Pandemic Stage Biz". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
3. "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Places, Please". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
4. Loggins, Emma (June 11, 2023). "Jessica Lange's 'Places, Please' Continues Atlanta Filming". Fanbolt. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
5. "Vgpartistmgmt on Instagram: "Congrats @apmackie on wrapping Places,Please supporting Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates & Lily Rabe directed by Michael Cristofer. Brilliance all around! #entertainment #entertainmentnews #amazingcast #greatproducers"". Instagram. June 25, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
6. Petski, Denise (May 14, 2024). "HBO To Premiere Jessica Lange Movie 'The Great Lillian Hall' Ahead Of Emmy Cutoff". Deadline. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
7. Ausiello, Michael (May 14, 2024). "HBO Acquires Jessica Lange Pic The Great Lillian Hall, Rushes to Air Ahead of Emmy Cutoff". TVLine. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
8. "The Great Lillian Hall". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
9. "The Great Lillian Hall". Metacritic. Retrieved June 8, 2024.

External links

• The Great Lillian Hall at IMDb