Nicole Kidman - Victoria Woodhull

Hello,

Last December I began drafting my memoir, "Victoria Speaking..." and was excited about my "past life" connection with suffragist, spiritualist, Victoria Woodhull and interweaving her story with mine. Without giving you all the story details, "Victoria Speaking..." is as much about my life as it is about Victoria Woodhull. More intriguing it's a story about reincarnation -- finding soulmates through lifetimes.

On March 23rd, 2004, it was officially posted in the NY Post by Liz Smith; Nicole Kidman to play another Feminist Icon by Liz Smith Nypost

For some time, the writer Barbara Goldsmith and I have been talking about Nicole Kidman starring in the movie version of her national best seller, "Other Powers: The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull."
Nicole would indeed be a natural to play the high priestess of free love, a woman who ran for president back in 1872 and fought the good fight for woman's rights. The very first option of Goldsmith's book came from Tom Cruise for Nicole, but that expired along with the Cruise-Kidman marriage. Now comes word that film rights have been bought by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney's Section 8 production company. Soderbergh is to direct and "Seabiscuit" producer Kathleen Kennedy will produce, with a screenplay by Naomi Foner. The latter wrote "Running on Empty" and "Violets Are Blue," and is the mother of those hot Hollywood kids, Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The even better news is that Nicole, who remains close to old friend Clooney, is still interested in starring. She told the author, "Tell them they better hurry up!" It is said Nicole also suggested her Aussie pal Naomi Watts to play Victoria Woodhull's free-wheeling sister, Tennessee, a courtesan who learned the tricks of the stock market in Commodore Vanderbilt's bed.

The story of Victoria Woodhull produced as a feature film biography has been floating around Hollywood studios for years. Oscar winner, James Toback (Bugsy) wrote his version of the "free love" suffragist, "Vicky" that Movieline magazine boosted: "the best screenplay never produced."

Several friends have been nudging me to pitch my book proposal, "Victoria Speaking..." to George Clooney's production company. More often than not, film rights to books are sold long before they are published. Like a teenager sitting on the edge of a lake dock, I dip my toe just baring touching the water... do I? Don't I? I feel if I do pitch Clooney's production company and he rejects it, afterall, they already have a screenwriter telling Woodhull's story as a historical movie. My idea is more modern infusing history into it. So... we shall see!