‘Beaches’: Nia Long To Play Hillary In Lifetime Remake

Nia Long is set to star opposite Idina Menzel in Lifetime’s remake of the 1988 film Beaches. They will play the leads, portrayed in the original by Barbara Hershey and Bette Midler, respectively.

Beaches follows the serendipitous meeting of two youngsters on the Venice Boardwalk, who, though worlds apart in lifestyle, embark on unexpected and lifelong friendship. CC (Menzel) is an aspiring singer trying to make it in Los Angeles. Hillary (Long) is the daughter of a prominent civil rights lawyer who struggles to find her own destiny. Their friendship—even with its ups and downs—sustains them for decades.

The remake, from A+E Studios, will feature new versions of the iconic songs “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “The Glory of Love” performed by Menzel as well as additional songs recorded by the Tony winner for the Lifetime film, produced by Denise Di Novi (Crazy Stupid Love) and Alison Greenspan (If I Stay). Directed by Allison Anders (Ring of Fire) from a script by Bart Barker (Honeymoon with Harry) and Nikole Beckwith (Stockholm, Pennsylvania), it began production yesterday in Vancouver for a 2017 premiere.

Long recently wrapped shooting feature Lemon, produced by Killer Films, and indie Roxanne Roxanne directed by Michael Larrnell. Long also recently co-starred on the ABC comedy series Uncle Buck and has a recurring role in Amazon’s Hand of God. She is repped by Primary Wave Entertainment, CAA and Meyer & Downs.