HBO MAX Picks Up Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Let Them All Talk’ Starring Meryl Streep

HBO MAX isn’t wasting any time. Even before its launch, the streaming service is already building up quite the roster of originals. The latest addition to the ensemble is Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming comedy film Let Them All Talk starring Meryl Streep.

The movie revolves around the story of a celebrated author, to be played by Streep, who takes a journey with some old friends to have some fun and heal old wounds. Ben is Back star Lucas Hedges joins Streep as her onscreen nephew who gets involved with a young literary agent played by Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan. Life in Pieces star Dianne West and Murphy Brown actress Candice Bergen complete the cast as Streep’s acquaintances.

As reported by The Wrap, Soderbergh is directing based on the screenplay by author Deborah Eisenberg and MacArthur Fellow. The film is executive produced by Ken Meyer and Joseph Malloch. And it is produced by Gregory Jacobs.

Let Them All Talk: An HBO MAX Forerunner

With a new home, Soderbergh’s film is receiving some warm reception from the network. “This is the kind of project where you just say yes please sign me up,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO MAX, in a statement. “To work with Steven Soderbergh and this all-star cast led by Meryl Streep is thrilling and sets the standard for features at HBO Max.”

Soderbergh has had good experience working with streaming networks before. Earlier this year, he debuted his iPhone-shot project High-Flying Bird at Netflix. And he already has a next project lined up with the network with his film The Laundromat.  The movie is based on Jake Bernstein’s book, “Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite.” And Soderbergh is working again with Streep in addition to Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas. It is set to premiere at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals.

Let Them All Talk also marks another collaboration between HBO and Soderbergh. In 2013, the director worked on his Liberace memoir Behind the Candelabra, earning HBO some of its highest ratings for an original TV movie. More recently, he also directed the 2018 interactive TV series Mosaic. 

With Soderbergh’s film, HBO MAX is already steadily building a fine roster of originals before its 2020 launch. Let Them All Talk will be joining Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg’s Practical Magic prequel Rules of Magic.