Dolly Parton hinted to Mic when we interviewed her back in December that the rollout for Run, Rose, Run — her debut novel with James Patterson, that she also wrote an accompanying album for — would be big. But the country icon isn’t wasting any time. The novel, which is already a New York Times Best Seller, was only released on March 7, and Dolly is now announcing that she will star in its feature film adaptation. In December she mentioned, “Run, Rose, Run, it’s about very strong women, and I’ll possibly be working with strong women in the production of the movie we’re hoping to put out.” Might we suggest Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin?
If you don’t know that reference, stop what you’re doing and watch the feminist camp masterpiece 9 to 5 right now — which isn’t just a great film, but also evidence that Parton is no stranger to the silver screen. She got her start on television on The Porter Wagoner Show in the 1960s and has made cameos in myriad productions since. She even inked her own deal with Netflix, where she’s put out shows like Heartstrings, which fictionalized the worlds of her songs, and the popular holiday movie Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.
The film adaptation of Run, Rose, Run will be produced by Parton, as well as Patterson and Reese Witherspoon’s production house, Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon said in a statement: “Growing up in Nashville, I’ve loved Dolly since the moment I heard her magical voice and saw her luminous personality shine onstage. Beyond her magnetic presence as an artist and performer, she is one of the greatest songwriters and storytellers of our time. Her impact knows no bounds — as a musician, actor, writer, businesswoman, activist, and all-around incredible human being — Dolly Parton is not only an icon to me, but a true inspiration to women and girls everywhere. ... My admiration for her grew to even greater heights when reading Run, Rose, Run, a gripping and heartbreaking book I couldn’t put down. I couldn’t feel more honored to be working alongside her and James to bring this remarkable story to the screen.”
Hello Sunshine has previously produced successes like The Morning Show (Apple+), Big Little Lies (HBO), and Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu). Run, Rose, Run sounds like it has similar intrigue and mystery to those series, as it follows an aspiring Nashville singer-songwriter who’s hiding something big. The book’s logline reads, “The source of her heart-wrenching songs is a brutal secret she has tried desperately to hide, but the past she has fled is reaching out to control her future — and it may destroy everything she has worked for.” With Reese and Dolly both being Tennessee girls, they are sure to do the story justice in its translation into a new format. Until the movie comes out though, you can also listen to Parton’s experimental “bookcast” of Run, Rose, Run on Spotify, a mix of narration and song.
