Deadline is reporting that Steve Carell will be replacing Zach Galifianakis in Freeheld, an upcoming film from Peter Sollett. Already set to star Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, Freeheld is based on 2007 documentary of the same name which focused on two women, Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree, who fought “to amend the Domestic Partnership Act, which grants pension benefits to domestic partners of all New Jersey public employees.”
According to the report, Galifianakis had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Now, Carell will come in and take over his role, that of Steven Goldstein, “a passionate advocate for Garden State Equality.” Moore and Page are set to play Hester and Andree, respectively.
For those who are unfamiliar with the original doc that this feature film will be based on, it was quite a hit on the festival circuit back when it was released, picking up numerous awards including the Special Jury Prize at Sundance. Director Cynthia Wade even took home an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.
With a screenplay from Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) and a talented cast leading the way, Freeheld should be a stirring dramatic adaptation of what sounds like a great story. I haven’t seen the documentary that it’s based on, but have heard of it, and am definitely excited to see how this adaptation plays out on the big screen.