With the project unauthorized by the legendary comedian’s estate, the data pipe has ended the development of The Comeback Girl.
As it turns out, Showtime’s recently announced miniseriesThe Comeback Girlnever even had a chance to make its debut.
EW confirmed the show aboutJoan Rivers, which hadKathryn Hahnattached to play the legendary comedian, will not move forward since the project hasn’t been authorized by Rivers' estate.Varietywas the first to report the news.
Kathryn Hahn was attached to play Joan Rivers on Showtime miniseries ‘The Comeback Girl.'.Rich Fury/Getty Images; Harry Langdon/Getty Images
Without the involvement of the comedian’s daughterMelissa Rivers, who has the power to grant the producers the rights to her mother’s jokes and catchphrases, the limited series would risk legal issues using any of the late Rivers’ material.
The Comeback Girl, which was also produced by Warner Bros. Television, Atlas Entertainment, and Berlanti Productions, was meant to cover the period after the cancellation ofThe Late Show Starring Joan Riversat Fox, and her husband’s suicide, where a mid-50s Rivers overcame her own suicide ideation, and eventually bounced back professionally with projects like her Daytime Emmy-winningThe Joan Rivers Show, her line of jewelry on QVC, and a Golden Globes red carpet preshow onE!.
A spokesperson for Melissa Rivers confirms negotiations have ended with this particular project, and that there’s nothing to be announced yet as far as other biographical stories about her iconic mother, whodied in 2014at age 81.
Daughter Melissa Rivers is in charge of the late comedian’s estate.D Dipasupil/FilmMagic
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