Meryl Streep is going to be rocking out on Aug. 7 in Jonathan Demme‘s Ricki and the Flash as the three-time Oscar winner recorded live cover versions of Bruce Springsteen‘s “My Love Will Not Let You Down,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ “American Girl,” Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Romance” and nine other tracks for the upcoming film, which just saw its first trailer drop today (watch it below).
Written by Diablo Cody (Juno) the film finds Streep in the title role, Ricki Rendazzo, a guitar heroine who made a world of mistakes as she followed her dreams of rock-and-roll stardom. Returning home, Ricki gets a shot at redemption and a chance to make things right as she faces the music with her family. Streep stars opposite her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer; Rick Springfield, portraying a Flash member in love with Ricki; Kevin Kline as Ricki’s ex-husband; and Audra McDonald as Kline’s new wife.
Cody has said she based Streep’s character on her mother-in-law, Terry, who is the lead singer in a Jersey Shore rock band called Silk and Steel. “Terry is a grandmother of six and she’s still up there rocking out every weekend, walking on the bar, just electrifying the audience,” Cody told Yahoo.
And apparently the Oscar narrative is already being written for this one as Demme tells Rolling Stone that Streep practiced so hard for the role her fingers bled. “She goes, ‘Jonathan, look! Blood!’,” Demme says. “Meryl had shred so fiercely, a little blood had spattered on her baby blue dress.” Oh my, just give her number four right now and let’s move on.
Check out the trailer, poster and a few new pictures below.
