Jane Fonda to Star in Lionsgate’s ‘The Correspondent’ After Seven-Studio Bidding War
Fonda, a seven-time Oscar nominee, recently starred in 80 for Brady and Book Club: The Next Chapter, and has a prolific producing history with titles such as 9 to 5 and Grace and Frankie.
RMN Stars Movies Desk
New Delhi | March 19, 2026
Lionsgate has emerged victorious in a high-stakes seven-studio bidding war for the film rights to “The Correspondent,” a feature package based on the #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel by Virginia Evans. Two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda is attached to star in the project and will also serve as a producer alongside Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures.
The story centers on Sybil Van Antwerp, a “sharp-witted, fiercely opinionated” retired lawyer who has long used letters to maintain order in her life. Her world is upended when a letter from her past resurfaces, forcing her to confront a buried chapter of grief, regret, and unresolved guilt. Since its publication last April, the novel has sold over a million copies and spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
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Cat Vasko, known for her work on Secret Invasion and the upcoming Queen of the Air, is set to script the adaptation and will executive produce alongside author Virginia Evans. The project marks another collaboration between Lionsgate and Lieberman’s Hidden Pictures, following the massive box-office success of The Housemaid, which grossed over $395 million worldwide.
Erin Westerman, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, expressed immense pride in the partnership, stating the team found Sybil’s story “deeply moving”. Lieberman added that he is thrilled to work with the “legend” Jane Fonda to bring the book’s emotional catharsis to the big screen.
Fonda, a seven-time Oscar nominee, recently starred in 80 for Brady and Book Club: The Next Chapter, and has a prolific producing history with titles such as 9 to 5 and Grace and Frankie.
