Kathy Bates Joins ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Adaptation At Lionsgate

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates has joined previously announced stars Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams in the Lionsgate feature adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Kelly Fremon Craig adapted the screenplay and will direct the film, which begins production in April.

The coming-of-age story, first published in 1970, follows Margaret Simon (Fortson), a sixth-grader who is questioning everything about adolescence and puberty, is searching the universe for whatever answers she can find. With her mother (McAdams) and grandmother trying to guide her through a time when everything is changing, they too find that you never stop questioning your path and defining what is meaningful in your life.

Bates, who was last seen on the big screen in Richard Jewell, will play Margaret’s grandmother Sylvia.

Craig is reuniting with Oscar-winning producer James L. Brooks and his Gracie Films banner, following their collaboration on the acclaimed film The Edge of Seventeen. Additional producers include Julie Ansell, Richard Sakai, Amy Brooks, Fremon Craig, and Blume.

“Kathy Bates has given us so many memorable, iconic characters,” said Craig. “Whether it’s comedy or drama, she is perpetually captivating on-screen. I’m thrilled to employ her extraordinary talents on this film I care so much about.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with a talent like Kathy. As she joins Abby and Rachel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret will be a special multi-generational moviegoing moment and the kind of entertainment that really creates a chance for mothers, daughters, and granddaughters to celebrate what it means to grow up and come of age,” said Erin Westerman, Lionsgate’s president of Production.

Bates, a two-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is repped by ICM.