Jamie Lee Curtis Rumoured to Star as Angela Lansbury’s Iconic ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Role in Film Adaptation

Jamie Lee Curtis may soon assume a legendary role that will undoubtedly arouse curiosity.

According to Deadline, the 66-year-old Oscar-winning actress is the leading candidate to play Jessica Fletcher in the film adaptation of ‘Murder, She Wrote’. The movie will adapt the popular mystery series that first starred Angela Lansbury as the legendary detective, though no contract has been signed. The program ran on CBS for 12 seasons between 1984 and 1996 and is still considered a genre classic.

Lord Miller and Amy Pascal will produce, while Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money) will write the screenplay. Curtis’ reps have yet to reply to questions, and Universal Pictures declined to comment.

Image Courtesy: People

Having started her career with the horror blockbuster ‘Halloween’ in 1978, Curtis is well-versed in thrillers. She played Laurie Strode again in the franchise, including the most recent trilogy, which ended with ‘Halloween Ends’ in 2022. In addition, Curtis has written murder mysteries and horror-comedies, such as ‘Scream Queens’ and the critically praised 2019 movie ‘Knives Out’, directed by Rian Johnson.

In a 2022 PEOPLE column, Curtis reflected on her legendary thriller career and expressed her thanks for her breakthrough performance as Laurie Strode, which taught her courage, loyalty, and resilience.

As previously disclosed by Angela Lansbury, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, co-creator Peter S. Fischer of ‘Murder, She Wrote’ first considered actress Jean Stapleton for the role. 

Image Courtesy: People

But Lansbury, who was in her late 50s at the time, jumped at the chance to play Jessica Fletcher, a middle-aged lady she called “vital and intelligent.”

Motivated by her ambition to engage with a wide television audience and assume a role that was both meaningful and empowering for women, Lansbury recognized the difficulty of hosting a weekly drama series but found it to be a fulfilling experience.

–Farheen Ali