Author Terry McMillan recently interviewed with The Huffington Post and expressed her thoughts on Getting to Happy; the Waiting to Exhale sequel. McMillan shared her involvement with the future project and addressed the rumors of Oprah Winfrey playing the role of Savannah, the role the late Whitney Houston played in the 1995 film.
When asked of her involvement in the upcoming sequel, McMillan stated “Myself and [screenwriter] Lori Lakin Hutcherson wrote drafts for the film and then Whitney passed away. And so now the studio is trying to take a moment to think about how best to proceed. They’ve made it crystal clear that they want to proceed, but it’s just a matter of how. I have mixed feelings about which way might be best to tell the story.”
Some critics have said the character of Savannah should be killed off, others say she should get a job and move out of state and then there are people who feel they know who should play Whitney’s role! If/when Savannah is re-cast, who do you think will best play the coveted role?
Will Oprah Winfrey play the role?…”Someone told me this and I said, ‘Oh, really?’ I mean, I don’t have any thoughts one way or the other. I love Oprah. I know that I heard that she would like to be able to act again. When she would possibly have the time, who knows? But I haven’t thought that far, because again, I am not a casting director. That is not my area. I mean, I also love Viola Davis, but we’re not there yet. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that Whitney is no longer here with us” the author expressed.
“I feel terrible about Whitney, just like everybody else, but there’s a part of me that also feels that she would want the film to go on. That’s just my gut feeling. And it has nothing to do with me not having an allegiance to her or respect for her. I just have a feeling that Whitney would love from heaven, to sit up there and watch who else can do the character.”
