2007 Futures for 2006 EDA Award Winners

While we’ve paused to applaud the accomplishments of our 2006 EDA Awards winners, we recognize that ours is very much a “what have you done for me lately?” business.

With that in mind, and with great confidence that all those whom we’re honored this year for their achievements will have ongoing and well deserved career successes, we’d like to acknowledge and give anticipatory nods to what ’s coming up in 2007 for some of the women who’ve won our first-ever 2006 EDA Awards.

Dame JUDI DENCH may not be able to travel and greet all the Oscar voters personally (hey, she’s on the boards, starring as Mistress Quickly in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s innovative Merry Wives – The Musical). But her film slate won’t suffer. Dench is booked to play again with Daniel Craig in the next Bond (A Bond may come and a Bond may go, but a Dench is forever), scheduled for 2008. Meanwhile, there’s a persistent rumor she’ll show up in the Harry Potter planned for next year.

Dame HELEN MIRREN is currently in production of the film adaptation of Susan Sontag’s novel, “America,” co-starring Isabelle Hupert. That’s an historical drama swirling around the creation of a California commune in the late 1800’s. It’s rumored to be a bit too sexy for family audiences, and let‘s hope so! But, to balance her act, Mirren has “Inkheart” in the works, and it’s an adventure for audiences of all ages, co-starring Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis and Paul Bettany.

CATE BLANCHETT just keeps going and going and going. As part of the irresistible ensemble of Todd Haynes‘ “I’m Not There,” a dramatic musical based on the life and work of Bob Dylan, Blanchett plays one aspect of the famous singer/poet personality. Who else is on board? Adrian Brody, Christian Bale, David Cross, Richard Gere, Julianne Moore and Heath Ledger, just for starters. Things get a bit more regal as Cate assumes the crown of Elizabeth I, in “The Golden Age,” also due in 2007. And, on tap for 2008, she re-teams with her Babel husband, Brad Pitt, in David Fincher’s take on the F. Scott Fitzgerald piece, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

While ANGELINA JOLIE spent the less notorious part of her pregnancy voicing characters in several animated projects, she, of course, hit the ground running soon after delivery, starring in “A Mighty Heart, as Mariane Pearl, the widow of slain journalist Daniel Pearl. While rumors abound that Jolie will be in Sin City 2, it’s been formally announced she’s attached to the much anticipated and somewhat controversial cinematic adaptation of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”

MERYL STREEP may very well win next year’s prize for most performances to hit the screen. Among the highlights of her roster: “Dark Matter,” based on the true story of a student’s rebellion in China, and “Evening,” based on Susan Minot’s novel (and what a cast of strong women here: co-stars including Glenn Close, Toni Colette, Clare Danes and Vanessa Redgrave). The project that will certainly intrigue baby boomers the most is “Dirty Tricks,” a take on life after Watergate, with another terrific ensemble of actresses– Gwyneth Paltrow, Annette Benning and Jill Clayburgh– all stepping into the shoes of some very famous women. Meryl plays Martha Mitchell. You’ve gotta love that.

Young ABIGAIL BRESLIN continues to spread her sunshine in two new pictures in 2007. “Definitely, Maybe” is a romantic comedy about life after divorce, while “No Reservations” whips up the story of a top chef (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and the child she suddenly must take on as her ward.

Perhaps the most tantalizing high stakes game around down is rolling the dice on what JENNIFER HUDSON will do next. Hudson’s benchmark performance in “Dreamgirls” reminds many of us of the first time we saw, say, Barbra Streisand. She’s got the most thrilling potential, but nothing’s inked yet. So, keep your eyes (and ears) open.

And, speaking of careers, our suggestion that UMA THURMAN needs a new agent will, we hope, be taken by the beautiful and talented actress as a gentle push in the direction of more exciting projects that will allow her to deliver as she‘s done in films such as the “Kill Bill”s, “Hysterical Blindness” and, of course, “Pulp Fiction.” She’s recently wrapped production on “In Bloom,” a dramatic thriller with Evan Rachel Wood, and she’s in director Griffin Dunne’s hands for the romantic comedy, “The Accidental Husband.” with co-stars like Sam Shepard and Colin Furth. Things are looking up already!

Joanna Langfield and Jennifer Merin