Close won an Obie Award in 1982 for her work in the title role of Albert Nobbs, which concerns "a woman in 1860s Ireland who changed her name and disguised herself as a man to gain employment," according to the industry paper. Close has co-written the film's screenplay with Istvan Szabo and will co-produce the project with Bonnie Curtis. Rodrigo Garcia, who directed Close in "Nine Lives," will direct. No timetable has been announced.
Director Garcia told Variety, "I'm impressed by how practical [Close] is. She's planning how we can do 'Albert Nobbs' with more money and with less money — whether we can shoot in Ireland or whether Canada or New York will have to substitute. What matters most to her is how can we make it work, how do we do it with what we have."
Close, who was last on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, also told Variety that she hopes to return to the stage next year. "I'm hoping next year [my career] will settle down a bit," she said. "If I can, I would love to do theatre. It would have to be a limited run, but I'm itching to get back to it, very much so."
Close won her Tony Awards for her performances in Sunset Boulevard, Death and the Maiden and The Real Thing.