Jessica Lange Hints That Wait Is Over On The Long-Awaited Release Of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” Film
The wait for the Long Day’s Journey Into Night film might finally be over, as Jessica Lange reveals to PEOPLE. Filming for this new movie adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer-winning play wrapped in November 2022. Jessica, reprising her role as the morphine-addicted matriarch Mary Tyrone, first portrayed this character in the 2016 Broadway revival, earning her first Tony Award.
Directed by Jonathan Kent in his film debut, this adaptation was poised to be a major awards contender with a star-studded cast, including Ed Harris as Mary’s husband James and Ben Foster as their alcoholic elder son Jamie. Despite the anticipation, a release date has yet to be announced.
However, Jennifer shared hopeful news at the 2024 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press junket, celebrating her leading actress Tony nomination for her role in Mother Play. “It’s finally finished. You’ll be able to see it in theaters,” she said.
Financial issues caused significant delays for the film, as Jessica explained, “It was a project that we all loved and were passionate about, but the money was never fully there. We were always scraping together a little bit here, a little bit there.”
“And I think now, maybe, we finally have finished it. Hopefully!” she added.
Filming began in Wicklow, Ireland, in September 2022 but halted a day after cameras started rolling when lead producer Gabrielle Tana discovered their biggest chunk of financing had fallen through. The cast waited weeks as Tana secured the funds to resume production.
“We were shocked at first, of course, but never once did we think it wasn’t going to happen,” Jessica told The New York Times. Despite the challenges, the delay had its benefits, particularly for the cast’s performances. Ed noted, “As tough as it was when the money fell out, it was the most rewarding film acting experience I’ve had in quite a while.”
He added that for the film, he got “to sit back, think about the character, calm down, and just be this dude rather than worrying about playing such a classic, important role.”
The cast also bonded during the downtime, as Jessica recalled, “We just hung in, went to the pub, took long walks. We really became friends and cared deeply for one another because we were going through the same thing. I think that in some way it added to our intensity and passion for doing this.”
Long Day’s Journey Into Night has been adapted for the screen several times, first in 1962 with Katharine Hepburn as Mary, and most recently in a 1996 film by Canadian director David Wellington. Lange initially played Mary in a 2000 revival in London, which later moved to Broadway.
In her illustrious 30-plus-year Broadway career, Jessica is now originating a role for the first time on stage in Paula Vogel’s Mother Play. The play, which follows Jessica’s character Phyllis over multiple decades as she raises her two children, has been nominated for four 2024 Tony Awards, including featured actor nominations for Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger, and best play.
The 2024 Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 16, at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in New York City. Viewers can watch the show on CBS and Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET, with select awards presented during a preshow streaming on Pluto TV.
