The Trip to Bountiful, Starring Tony Winner Cicely Tyson & Vanessa Williams, Set for Lifetime Screen Reboot

The Broadway journey may be over for the recent revival of The Trip to Bountiful, but the story of Carrie Watts will live on in a new Lifetime TV remake of Horton Foote’s celebrated play. Featuring Tony winner Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams reprising their roles from the Broadway production, the new small screen adaptation will begin filming November 4 in Atlanta, GA. No additional casting has been announced.

The Trip to Bountiful is no stranger to the small screen—Horton Foote’s drama began as an NBC teleplay in 1953. The playwright then adapted his drama for the stage—the production opened November 3, 1953 at Henry Miller’s Theatre. A subsequent 1985 film adaptation starred Geraldine Page, John Heard, Rebecca De Mornay and Carlin Glynn.

The first Broadway revival of The Trip to Bountiful played March 30 through October 9 in the same theater where it premiered (now renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre). In addition to Tyson as Carrie Watts and Williams as Jessie Mae Watts, The Trip to Bountiful featured Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ludie Watts, Condola Rashad as Thelma and Tom Wopat as Sheriff.

The Trip to Bountiful tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who longs to return to her hometown of Bountiful, Texas, one final time. She is anxious to begin her journey, but her overprotective son Ludie and his overbearing wife Jessie Mae refuse to let her take the trip—so Carrie decides to take matters into her own hands.