First Wives Club Reboot Finds First Two Wives

TV Land’s First Wives Club reboot has found its first two members: Alyson Hannigan and Megan Hilty.

The First Wives Club was originally a book written by Olivia Goldsmith. It was adapted into a film (and later a musical) starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as a group of women who – after the death of one of their close, college friends – seek revenge on their ex-husbands for leaving them for younger women. The TV Land reboot, which was picked up for pilot in March, will be written by Rebecca Addelman (New Girl) and executive produced by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City, The Big C).

First Wives Club will take place in modern-day San Francisco (the book and the 1996 film were set in New York City) and center around three friends and former classmates who reunite after the death of a friend. “When they all discover that they’re at a romantic crossroads, they unite to tackle divorce, relationships and life’s other challenges.” (via THR)

Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has been cast as Maggie, an aspiring poet and an English professor at a San Francisco university. Maggie is described as “bright but frustrated” and she is trying to put a little excitement back into her struggling marriage. After her friend’s death, she decides to make some changes in her life – starting with leaving her husband.

Megan Hilty (Smash) will play Kim, a once-successful actress who has been “aged out” of Hollywood. (By the way, Megan Hilty is 35.) A divorced mother with an 8-year-old son, Kim works hard at her appearance and takes bit parts in the hopes of returning to the spotlight.

From the descriptions, it’s clear that the TV Land reboot isn’t going to be exactly like the film (or the book). For starters, the wives are seeming to skew a bit younger than the original. Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton were all 50 when The First Wives Club hit theaters in 1996. Alyson and Megan are younger than that (42 and 35, respectively).

Plus, the characters aren’t exactly the same, and it’s not just the names. Alyson’s character seems to be based on Annie (played by Diane Keaton in the movie), while Megan’s Kim is clearly Elise (Goldie Hawn). In the film, Elise didn’t have any children, so it will be interesting to see how that character deals with having a son. Will she still have the same level of narcissism? Also, while “revenge on their ex-husbands” was the driving plot in the movie, it doesn’t seem to be mentioned in the description for the show. I wonder if it will be a factor at all.

First Wives Club isn’t the only iconic film with largely female cast getting the reboot treatment from TV Land. A modern-day, reimagined Heathers is also in the works.

What do you guys think of this news? Are you excited about the prospect of a new club of wives?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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