1975 novel, Autumn of the Patriarch , with Marlon Brando starring as an aging Latin American dictator. No one can refuse Oprah Winfrey, not even someone of Sidney Poitier's stature. Daily Variety reports the Oscar- winning actor has signed on to star in Oprah's ABC telepic David and Lisa , an update of a 1962 film of the same name centering on two disturbed teens and the psychiatrist who helps them. The telepic, which begins production June 22, will likely air during the November or February sweeps. Seems those Kmart ads weren't enough to scratch Penny Marshall's acting itch.
Production is scheduled to begin next week.
The last time Marshall was seen on the big screen was for an uncredited cameo in 1995's Get Shorty , in which she played herself. Jennifer Jason Leigh is reportedly in talks to take over Natasha Richardson's Tony Award- winning role as Sally Bowles in the Broadway hit Cabaret , says the New York Post . No deals have yet been signed, however. Bill Pullman, last seen as a paranoid private eye in Zero Effect , is taking on another quirky role. Daily Variety reports he's set to play a crocodile- hunting game warden in Lake Placid .