Katherine Heigl Is Heading To Netflix With Adaptation Of ‘Firefly Lane’
Katherine Heigl is set to star in and executive produce a new series for Netflix, reports Entertainment Weekly. The American actress will co-star as Tully Hurt in an adaptation of the bestselling 2008 novel, Firefly Lane.
The 10-episode series will follow Tully’s relationship with her best friend, Kate Mularkey, over four decades. The novel’s writer, Kristin Hannah, will act as co-executive producer alongside Heigl, while Maggie Friedman—producer and writer of Witches of East End—will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. No premiere date has been set, but the first episode will be directed by Peter O’Fallon, who produced and directed UnREAL.
The New York Times bestselling novel takes place in the Pacific Northwest and follows Tully and Kate through their childhood, careers, and relationships. Netflix describes Tully as “a force of nature still bearing the scars of a traumatic childhood” and Kate as someone “with whom she shares an unshakable bond over the course of four decades.”
There’s no word yet on who will play opposite Heigl, but according to Inside Vancouver, the series will begin shooting in the Western Canadian city in mid-September and continue until late-January.
This is the third screen adaptation for Hannah. The American writer’s The Nightingale and The Great Alone are both in production at TriStar Productions. Neither has a release date as of yet.
Heigl is currently wrapping up a two-season run on Suits as lawyer Samantha Wheeler. The actress, who also starred in romantic comedies such as Knocked Up and 27 Dresses, recently told Entertainment Tonight she had no plans to reprise her role of Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy. She played the surgical intern and later resident for six seasons, leaving the show in 2010.
Katherine Heigl (@KatieHeigl) to star in #Netflix's 'Firefly Lane' https://t.co/qIoKClQpX6 pic.twitter.com/otYgpy4Ine
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 10, 2019
“I haven’t [thought about Izzie] in years. I don’t know. I don’t know if I would or if I wouldn’t,” Heigl said. “I almost feel like that would almost be distracting again to, sort of, what they’ve done with that show in the seven years since I left… and what that’s become and what it is to the fans now. It must feel like it would just be kind of like, ‘Yeah, we already let that go… why are you here?'”
Heigl left the show in the midst of drama over her withdrawal from the 2008 Emmys and rumors of being difficult to work with. According to US Weekly, the actress publicly took her name out of the running, saying she didn’t deserve recognition because of her weak Grey’s Anatomy storyline.
