A-list actresses want to play 'The Women'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Veteran Hollywood actresses Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher and Joanna Gleason have joined the cast of the upcoming remake of "The Women."

Also securing roles in the all-female film are Lynn Whitfield, Ana Gasteyer and Debi Mazar, Variety reported Thursday.

The update of George Cukor's star-studded 1939 classic -- about a group of friends delighted to learn their seemingly perfect friend's husband is cheating on her -- is shooting in Boston with "Murphy Brown" scribe Diane English at the helm and Mick Jagger of Jagged Films co-producing.

The movie is being financed by Inferno, Picturehouse and Dove, which is underwriting part of the budget and will feature "The Women" in a marketing campaign for its soap products, Variety said.

Also appearing in the new movie are Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen.