Agence France Presse

Los Angeles:

Oscar-winning US actress Gwyneth Paltrow will take on the legendary persona of German-born movie icon Marlene Dietrich in a new big-budget Hollywood film, the industry press said. Tinseltown studio DreamWorks is to bring the life story of the very private ‘Blue Angel’ star to the silver screen in an adaptation of her daughter Maria Riva’s book, ‘Marlene Dietrich’. The studio signed Paltrow to the role after securing rights to the tell-all memoir and has also won the cooperation of the estate of the late Dietrich, who died alone in her Paris apartment in 1992. Paltrow will also co-produce the film, the script of which will be written by Jess Money, after successfully persuading Dreamworks executives including director Steven Spielberg to back the project, the entertainment industry bible said.

Dietrich’s grandson Peter Riva was quoted by Variety as saying that Paltrow was one of few contemporary actresses who could do justice to his proud grandmother who took care to make sure the ravages of time never tarnished her glamorous image. “When she realised that age caught up to her at 76, she made sure that she did not undermine her memory by being seen getting old,” he said. “She stayed in bed for her final 11 years.”