Jessica Chastain Won’t Autograph Books for Adaptations She’s Rumored for: ‘It Feels Wrong’
Samantha Bergeson
Jessica Chastain is sharing her autograph policy. The Oscar winner was recently captured in a viral video turning down signing a copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” novel following her performance in Broadway revival of “A Doll’s House” at the Hudson Theatre, outside of which she regularly greets fans.
“I can’t sign that, just because I’m not doing it,” Chastain says to the fan in the video. The “Molly’s Game” star later took to Twitter to explain her reasoning for declining to sign books such as these.
“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,” Chastain wrote. “That doesn’t mean I’ve read a bad script.”
She 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 until June 10th. Hope to see you.”
Chastain, who has been fan-casted on social media as love interest Celia St. James for the novel’s big screen adaptation, responded to the BookTok viral campaign in January 2023. “I do know there is an online thing about it. Sure, send me a script,” Chastain said during Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.”
IndieWire has reached out to Chastain’s representatives for comment.
Originally slated as a Freeform series helmed by “The L Word” team Ilene Chaiken and Jennifer Beals, the project moved to Netflix, with “Little Fires Everywhere” creator Liz Tigelaar taking over.
The Taylor Jenkins Reid cinematic universe has recently expanded, with the release of the film “One True Loves” starring Simu Liu, Phillipa Soo, and Luke Bracey, plus the Prime Video series “Daisy Jones and the Six.” An adaptation of novel “Malibu Rising” is also in the works at Hulu.
Meanwhile, actress-producer Chastain is confirmed to star opposite Anne Hathaway in literary adaptation “Mother’s Instinct.” The 1960s-set suburban drama is a remake of Belgium director Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 film “Duelles,” centering on two best friends and neighbors (Chastain and Hathaway) whose lives are thrown into disarray after a tragic accident involving their respective sons. The film is an adaptation of Barbara Abel’s novel “Derrière la Haine,” and Chastain will produce via her Freckle Films.
Chastain is also attached to lead Misha Green’s horror film “I Am Not Alone,” based on a short story by fiction writer Chris Hicks. The film landed at Netflix after a bidding war. The “Eyes of Tammy Faye” Oscar winner stars in upcoming Apple TV+ series “The Savant” based on a feature published in Cosmopolitan magazine about an anonymous woman who infiltrates online hate groups in order to track and prevent potential mass shootings.
She also this year wrapped filming on “New Order” director Michel Franco’s “Memory,” expected to appear at the fall festivals.
@eileenfilm well! 😭 creds to honeyomen on instagram! #jessicachastain #thesevenhusbandsofevelynhugo
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
