Now that the fourth season of Weeds is over, production has settled down to take a break after a tumultuous season that ended with Nancy Botwin revealing that she is pregnant with what we assume is Esteban’s baby.  More intrigue came about when we reported about Justin Kirk, who is still hopeful that his character, Andy would still have a shot in winning Nancy’s heart come season 5.

Meanwhile, Weeds star Mary Louise-Parker is gearing up for a new project. Earlier this month, it was announced that she will be part of a new biopic, which will be written, directed and produced by Oscar-winning documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

The beatnik biopic entitled Howl is based on Allen Ginsberg’s epic book-length poem of the same title.  The film will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the poem, and will feature animated visualizations of the piece, courtesy of graphic novelist Eric Drooker.

Cast members include David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck), who will play prosecuting attorney Ralph McIntosh, Alan Alda (The West Wing), who will play Judge Clayton Horn, Jeff Daniels (Traitor), who will play Professor David Kirk, Paul Rudd, who will play Luthor Nichols and Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker who will play prosecution witness Gail Potter.  James Franco, who appeared in the Spider-Man films, will be playing Allen Ginsberg.

"Fifty years later, Ginsberg's vision is as relevant as the year he wrote it," Friedman told the Hollywood Reporter.  "It resonates with issues of free speech, government censorship, militaristic empire building, fear-mongering, sexual conformity and the co-opting of religion."

Carter Burwell will be writing the original score while Epstein and Friedman, who previously worked together on the Oscar-winning Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, will be co-directing the film.  Epstein's other film credits include the Oscar-winning The Times of Harvey Milk.

Weeds fans catch Parker in Howl, which is set to be released in November.


-Valerie Anne del Castillo, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Hollywood Reporter, Zap2It
(Photo courtesy of Showtime)