Glenn Close Says ‘Sunset Boulevard’ Remake Is ‘Moving Forward’

Glenn Close is determined to get the Sunset Boulevard remake made.

“It’s moving forward,” Close, 77, exclusively told Us Weekly of the film at Variety’s 2024 Power of Women luncheon in New York City on Thursday, May 2. “The movie is in the works and I’m not giving up on that one.”

The Oscar nominee added that she loves the character Norma Desmond, whom she previously played in two separate runs of the Sunset Boulevard Broadway musical.

“It’s so beautiful to me that she’s always still so relevant. The time passes, but that character is always important,” she said. “We’re trying to find a director, we have a great script. … That character of Norma is so heartbreakingly beautiful and will never not have relevance, it’s been a great blessing to play her and I’m not willing to let her go yet without one more tribute.”

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Close looked elegant and sophisticated in a zip-up black blazer and matching pants at the Variety event. She completed the look with a pair of nude, open-toed heels.

Close was all smiles posing with Mariska Hargitay on the red carpet, who also wore an all-black ensemble for the occasion. Close gave a speech introducing Hargitay, 60, who was honored at the event for her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors.

During her remarks, Close admitted she felt “overwhelmed” by the task of introducing her “extraordinary friend” in just two minutes.

“She’s a comic, she’s a healer, she’s Mother Earth, she’s a source of light,” she gushed. “As an actor, I am astounded by the fact that after 25 years as [her Law & Order: SVU character] Olivia Benson, Mariska is still relevant. She is still fresh and captivating. … She still finds the heart, the art and the power in her craft.”

Hargitay then took the stage herself and spoke about Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction being overturned last month.

“I want to talk today about reversing convictions,” she said. “It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter, that what happened to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors more compassionately, more holistically, with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what healing means.”

Hargitay also addressed the fact that the verdict was overturned due to the admittance of testimony from alleged victims who weren’t involved with the case being tried.

“I do want to say something about the overturned Harvey Weinstein conviction, specifically about the reason it was overturned: Too many women’s voices. Too many women were allowed to speak,” Hargitay said. “Risky to let women speak? You’re damn right it is. Too many women speaking brings change.”

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Weinstein appeared in court on Wednesday, May 1, for the first time since his conviction was overturned. His case will be retried.

“We believe in this case,” prosecutor Nicole Blumberg said of taking Weinstein’s case to court again. “It was a strong case in 2020 … and remains a strong case in 2024.”

In addition to Hargitay, Amy Schumer, Shonda Rimes and Anitta were honored by Variety on Thursday. Schumer, 42, spoke about her work with Everytown for Gun Safety, Rimes, 54, highlighted the work of nonprofit dance school the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Anitta, 31, reflected on dreaming big while growing up poor in Brazil.

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“We are born believing these things are not possible for us, because we don’t have it. There’s no structure. There’s no opportunities,” Anitta said of growing up in the favelas, where she said residents are “treated as the trash” of Brazil.

“There were so many rules. So many rules on how to be a woman, how to behave, how to find the best husband, how to look good for the audience, to be the cute girl everybody wants to marry,” the Latin pop star continued. “And I was just not this person. I wanted to shake my ass, I wanted to be free, I wanted to make my own money.”

In addition to the honorees, other attendees at this year’s Power of Women luncheon included Melissa Joan Hart, Francesca Scorsese, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Avantika Vandanapu, Tamron Hall and Charity Lawson.