Judy Blume Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

The new movie Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is hitting theaters this weekend and we caught up with rising star Abby Ryder Fortson to learn more about her!

Brent Lang Executive Editor To get the chance to make a movie of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” producer James L. Brooks and writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig made the pilgrimage to the beloved author’s home in Key West, Fla. “I spent most of our time with Judy warning her about Hollywood and all the things it will do to you — basically, I warned her about folks like me,” says Brooks, the Oscar-winning director of “Terms of Endearment” and the co-creator of “The Simpsons” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Blume chose not to heed the admonition. By the end of their sit-down, Brooks, Craig and Blume’s husband George were all hugging. The film rights were theirs. It turns out Brooks and Craig had an ace up their sleeve: Blume had loved their collaboration “The Edge of Seventeen,” a sensitively drawn look at a teenager navigating the minefield of high school while processing her dad’s death. It’s a coming-of-age tale that’s similar to “Are You There God?,” which depicts the challenges and mortifications of being on the cusp of puberty. On April 28, fans of the book will get to see how successfully Craig, Brooks and their collaborators pulled it off when the Lionsgate release opens in theaters.

, was published in 1970. She's been our advisor and confidante on everything from bras, bullying, and of course, periods.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.We’re so used to seeing teens played by twentys-omethings. What was it like casting actual 11-year-olds for this?Kelly Fremon Craig: The casting process was seeing every kid under the sun and really looking places that you don’t expect, trying to find kids from all over. A lot of the kids, this was their first ever thing.

Angelique Jackson Literary icon Judy Blume has been in the public eye for more than 50 years, but lately she’s been posing for even more cameras than usual. For the past few months, Blume has been everywhere — from the red carpet premiere of the feature adaptation of her 1970 classic “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” in Los Angeles last week, to Variety’s Power of Women ceremony in New York City, where she was honored earlier this month. But on Monday night in Studio City, Calif., it was Blume’s husband George Cooper on the other side of a cell phone camera lens. As Blume was introduced to an eager (and pink-masked) crowd by 16-year-old Annabelle Chang, who owns Annabelle’s Book Club LA, Cooper sprang from his seat behind the desk to capture the moment on his cell phone.

Rachel McAdams is not afraid to show off her all-natural look. The "Mean Girls" star flaunted her armpit hair in a provocative photo shoot ahead of her movie release of "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret," based on Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 novel. McAdams, 44, opened up about embracing her body as it constantly went through changes throughout her life — from puberty to motherhood.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. A new documentary about Judy Blume sheds light on the profound impact that the beloved children’s book writer had on a whole generation of young girls.

Legendary author Judy Blume has written 29 books and swore the only one she would never consider selling for the screen was 1970’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, her timeless coming-of-age book that became a rite of passage for just about every girl, like Margaret, going from age 11 to 12, and probably their mothers as well. Blume held fast until 2018 when writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and her mentor, Oscar-winning filmmaker James L. Brooks, came calling with just the right idea for an adaptation. The deal was sealed. The movie is here. Blume says she is probably the only author to say the movie is better than her book.

When it comes to young adult literature, there are few books as universally beloved and influential for preteen girls as “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel. Tackling everything from boys to periods to religion, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was a groundbreaking exploration of so-called taboo topics that plague all young girls.

As the working week nears its end, it’s time for some more great films and TV shows to drop on streaming services. If you’re wondering what new content you can sink your teeth into this weekend, we know just the thing.

“Mean Girls” star showed off her unshaven underarms in a photoshoot with Bustle published Tuesday. The online women’s magazine reported the actress and mother of two requested her images be edited as little as possible.

Rachel McAdams is looking forward to sharing her new film with her kids as she stars in the film adaptation of Judy Blume's iconic 1970 coming-of-age novel, ET's Cassie DiLaura spoke with McAdams at the Los Angeles premiere of her new movie, in which she plays Barbara Simon, mother to the film's titular Margaret Simon (played by Abby Ryder Fortson).Reflecting on showing the film — which candidly and honestly details a young girl's spiritual quest and her efforts to navigate puberty, emotional maturity and deep philosophical questions — McAdams said of showing the film to her young daughter sometime in the future, «I just hope she's not embarrassed.»McAdams and her partner, Jamie Linden — who are famously private about their personal lives — share a 5-year-old son and a daughter they welcomed sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.«She probably will be [embarrassed], so I'm just gonna prepare myself for that,» McAdams added with a laugh. «But I'm really excited to show it to my son too!»«I feel like it's great for guys to see behind the scenes... to just normalize what's really normal and create compassion between the sexes,» McAdams added. «So I hope a lot of boys will go and see this with their moms, or their dads too.»As for reflecting on her own childhood while starring in the coming-of-age story, McAdams joked that there was «a little PTSD there, yeah, I'm not gonna lie.

the Sunday Times. She was discussing her long career and the upcoming adaptation of her book, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” starring Rachel McAdams. Reporter Hadley Freeman also asked Blume about fellow popular children’s book author J.K. Rowling, 57, who has become a controversial figure for her views on the transgender community, for which Rowling has received death threats.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Amazon has been awarded $35.3 million in state tax incentives for TV production, including the largest amount ever granted by the state of California for a single film or TV season. “Citadel,” a big-budget spy thriller set to debut on April 28, was awarded $25 million to relocate to California from the U.K. for its second season. The show is expected to pay $119 million in “qualified” expenditures — which include below-the-line workers and California vendors — making it the biggest show ever lured from out of state by the credit. The Hollywood Reporter has called the show “pricey and troubled,” noting that its first-season budget soared above $200 million due to a change in the creative team and extensive reshoots.

The Diplomat. Not to mention, of course, new episodes of , , and , which are all dominating the pop-culture zeitgeist right now.The week starts with Ciao House (think Summer House, but set in an Italian villa with a focus on pasta) on the Food Network and discovery+.

Irish Oscar winner Martin McDonagh has complained of theatres refusing to perform his work because he would not agree to changes in the language. 

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Can Chris Evans and Ana de Armas convince moviegoers to flock to Apple TV+ this month? The streamer is surely hoping as it prepares to launch “Ghosted,” an action comedy in which a romantic hopeful (Evans) falls for a CIA agent (Armas) and gets entangled in her latest mission. While Apple TV+ hopes to court young adults with its action romance, Disney+ aims to bring families together by launching its latest live-action fairytale remake: “Peter Pan and Wendy.” Unlike the upcoming live-action “The Little Mermaid,” which is opening exclusively in theaters over Memorial Day, “Peter Pan and Wendy” is skipping theaters and debuting directly on Disney+.

, Brooke Shields recalled a romantic kiss with one of the most famous men in the world at the time, John F. Kennedy Jr., a.k.a. “John-John,” in Aspen, Colorado.

Lea Michele rocks a chic brown dress while arriving for Variety’s 2023 Power of Women held at The Grill on Tuesday (April 4) in New York City.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Pearls of wisdom and displays of affection were shared widely on Tuesday afternoon when honorees Judy Blume, Natasha Lyonne, Rosie Perez, Kelly Ripa and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez took the stage at Variety‘s Power of Women New York luncheon, presented by Lifetime, at midtown restaurant The Grill. While all five women touched on the key lessons they’ve learned in life and the importance of those who teach them during the luncheon, hosted by “Saturday Night Live’s” Ego Nwodim, it was iconic YA author Blume who made much of her speech a tribute to public educators and librarians who are trying to protect students’ rights amid increased government scrutiny and censorship in public education.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “Support is what all women in every industry could always use more of — and will seldom ask for,” Kelly Ripa said, as she took the stage at Variety‘s Power of Women: New York event on Tuesday afternoon. “Offer support to someone who needs it. Encourage others to do the same. Sometimes just being asked is enough.” Ripa’s advice was part of her stirring speech at Variety‘s annual luncheon where she was one of five Power of Women honorees, along with Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Rosie Perez, Natasha Lyonne and Judy Blume. “Don’t ever be afraid to advocate for yourself. Don’t ever be afraid to advocate for others,” Ripa continued. “Knowing that a person or group of people have your back can be the most powerful thing in the world.”

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Natasha Lyonne is enjoying something of a career renaissance, and she’s attributing the undeniable success to her female friendships. As she took the stage at Variety‘s annual Power of Women event — on her birthday, no less — she toasted to her “community of women,” among them Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, who have cheered on each other’s rise in Hollywood. “It’s pretty eccentric to see how much we grow up together in this business and how meaningful it is to stick together along that ride,” she said on Tuesday afternoon at midtown Manhattan’s The Grill. Lyonne joked that she and her “dear pal” Rudolph started the production company Animal Pictures to “ensure we’d have time to hang out with each other,” and that she co-created “Russian Doll” as an excuse to “get existential with my friend and co-creator Amy Poehler.”

Tatiana Siegel When it comes to activism, Rosie Perez isn’t one to merely lob a tweet. She was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2000 while protesting the U.S. Navy’s deadly air bomb training off the coast of Puerto Rico. And the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actress, whose mother died of AIDS, served on President Obama’s Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, beginning in 2010. On Tuesday, she put the spotlight on first responders at Variety‘s Power of Women luncheon, presented by Lifetime, in New York City. The “White Men Can’t Jump” actor highlighted the Heart 9/11 charity organization, which was founded in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attack that crippled Perez’s hometown, New York City.

Author Judy Blume says she worries about intolerance in the US, following the removal in schools of some of her novels. 

Selome Hailu As one of the most widely banned authors in American history, Judy Blume has some opinions on censorship. In an interview for the cover of Variety‘s Power of Women issue, the legendary author of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” spoke about her own experiences being censored and the recent Roald Dahl controversy, wherein Puffin Books came under fire for publishing “updated” editions of Dahl’s books including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.” “What do I think about rewriting the Roald Dahl books?” Blume scoffed. “I think if Roald Dahl was around, you would be hearing what he thinks about that. Whatever he is, whatever he’s accused of being, there’s a lot of truth there. But the books are the books. Kids still love the books, and they love them the way he wrote them. So I don’t believe in that.”

Amazon Studios has closed an exclusive multiyear first-look film deal with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, the company announced on Friday.Under the pact, Amazon Studios will have a first look on narrative features and documentaries Imagine Entertainment intends to produce.“Whether it’s a captivating drama like ‘Thirteen Lives’ or a poignant documentary like ‘Lucy and Desi,’ the team at Imagine Entertainment has an incredible gift for storytelling,” Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios said in a statement. “As we look forward to more exciting projects on the horizon, we are honored to make our longstanding relationship official and to bring more powerful, engaging stories to audiences around the world.”“Brian, Ron, and I, along with our entire team at Imagine including Karen Lunder, President of Imagine Features, and Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries, couldn’t be more excited to have a home at Amazon and continue our shared desire to make tentpole films that inspire, elevate, and entertain audiences,” Justin Wilkes, President of Imagine Entertainment added.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has closed an exclusive multiyear first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment. In making Amazon its new movie home, co-founders Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will give Amazon first look on narrative features and documentaries Imagine intends to produce.

Prologue At the start of the 1950s, in the suburbs of Elizabeth, N.J., a nearly teenage Judy Blume found herself at odds with the rhythms of her body. She hadn’t inherited her Aunt Gert’s large breasts. (“My mother worried terribly that I would take after my father’s sister, who had to have bras made to fit her,” says Judy, now 85. “I always say she worried them right off me!”) And she hadn’t yet started her period. (“I wanted it so desperately. But when I finally got it, I couldn’t tell anybody, because I had told them I had gotten it in the sixth grade!”)

Rachel McAdams is sharing how she feels about potentially being involved in the upcoming “Mean Girls” musical movie.

Rachel McAdams is sharing how motherhood influenced her latest film.ET's Rachel Smith spoke to McAdams at the screening of her new film, , based on the beloved novel by Judy Blume. In Blume's hometown of Key West, Florida, McAdams exclusively caught up with ET and shared how she approached the movie as a mom.«Coming to this as a mom was very different for me,» she shared. «To see through those eyes, you just remind yourself of what it was to be that age, and how hard it was.

Jordan Moreau Variety’s 2023 Power of Women: New York event will honor Judy Blume, Natasha Lyonne, Rosie Perez, Kelly Ripa and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. The Power of Women issue will release on Wednesday, March 29, and the event, in partnership with Lifetime, will celebrate the honorees in New York on Tuesday, April 4. This year’s honorees include: The program will be hosted by actress, comedian and writer Ego Nwodim, who has been a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” since 2018.

Lionsgate announced on Thursday that its Kingdom Story Company drama Ordinary Angels, starring 2x Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Alaska Daily) and Alan Ritchson (Reacher), will open wide on October 13th.

Judy Blume is a literary icon. She’s the Stephen King of coming-of-age stories for young women.

A new poster for the upcoming movie Are You God? It’s Me, Margaret has been released.

William Earl Variety will present Diego Luna with the inaugural Variety Virtuoso Award at the Miami Film Festival on Saturday, March 4. The award is will be presented to celebrate Luna’s excellence in acting, directing and producing over the years. “Emerging as a major force in Latin American cinema back at the dawn of our current century, Diego Luna has consistently proven the promise of his breakthrough role in Alfonso Cuarón’s acclaimed film ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’ not only with awards-nominated work as an actor but also a growing reputation as a director of the first order,” said Steve Gaydos, Variety EVP of Global Content and Executive Editor. “Currently starring in the hit ‘Star Wars’ prequel series ‘Andor,’ Luna’s leading man credentials are vividly on display.”

Lionsgate has named Joy Ride as the title of its upcoming comedy marking the feature directorial debut of Crazy Rich Asians scribe Adele Lim. The studio also on Monday unveiled the first still from the film, which you can view below.