She cracks a joke. Then gasps. Silence. That's Rivers—bold, disarming, merciless. Now Natasha Lyonne, a five‑time Emmy nominee, is stepping into that volcanic rhythm for Can We Talk?, Sony 3000 Pictures' latest biopic gamble, with Melissa Rivers on board as a producer. No director's set yet. Script's by The Office alum Amelie Gillette. Big question: will it dig into Rivers' blistering wit and backstage scars—or flatten her into one more awards-season safe ride?
Picking up the shattered mic
It ain't just another rise‑and‑fall story. The plan: chart Rivers' brutal ascent through stand‑up, her brutal breakout on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and the emotional toll of motherhood and hosting amid relentless backlash. The real challenge isn't accuracy—it's thunder. Can Lyonne channel Rivers' self‑deprecating speed, her contagious discomfort, her “surgical” timing?
Melissa Rivers isn't just sent an invite—she's co‑producer, blessing the portrait she wants her mother to have. That inside connection gives the film a shot at capturing Joan's “surgical precision” and fearless breakdowns, rather than a glossy tribute.
Lyonne's not just doing a River
Lyonne's no stranger to electric chaos. Think Poker Face—Peacock's critically charged Rian Johnson mystery series. Recall His Three Daughters, her deadpan weed‑smoking misfit role that still burned on screen. She's known for a still, simmering fire. Now she's stepping into the projectile‑league: Rivers' rapid‑fire, edge-of-your-seat stand‑up, where discomfort is the punchline.
Still, the leap's massive. It's one thing to deliver a Lyonne joke; another to inhabit a Rivers rant that cuts so deep it leaves people laughing while flinching. The question: can Lyonne push beyond being “funny Lyonne” to being “raw, blistered Rivers”?
Biopic traps ahead?
Biopics often smooth out cracks. Here, anything less than chaos wouldn't do. Our best case? A film that's uncomfortable, messy, occasionally vicious—like Rivers herself. No safe epiphanies, no flashy epilogues. Just that familiar tension: she's free‑wheeling and burnt out, on stage and at home.
All confirmed so far: Lyonne's attached. Gillette's written the script. Sony's producing. Melissa Rivers is involved. No set director or release date yet. So far, it's launching as Can We Talk?, title intact.
Why it might reverberate
Joan Rivers was radical. She brought taboo to daylight, cracked jokes at her own expense, and refused permission. Today's culture—always walking on eggshells—might just need that. If Lyonne nails the rhythm, she won't just play Joan; she'll carry a whisper of “say what you're thinking” into the audience's spine.
Would it snag awards? Maybe. But more thrilling would be this: a biopic that doesn't replay clips of Rivers. It breathes her style—aggressive, intimate, unfiltered.
A few thoughts before I go
- Can We Talk? is shaping up like a test of guts: for Lyonne, for Sony, and for audiences that might prefer easy beats.
- Timing: no festivals or release dates locked in yet. Still early.
- If Melissa Rivers is involved, there's hope we'll get Joan's grit—not just her public persona.
Will Lyonne deliver the “surgical precision”? Or will she dip into idiosyncratic homage that never quite lands? I'm leaning toward kinetic, maybe even rare-cinematic—if they stop caring about being polite.
And if it bombs? Well, that'd be ironic. Because Joan Rivers would have roasted the shit out of the jokes flopping.
