GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Dolly Parton will star in a feature film adaptation of her and James Patterson’s recent New York Times bestselling book “Run, Rose, Run” with Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine’s President of Film and Television, Lauren Neustadter. Ashley Strumwasser will executive produce for Hello Sunshine.
“Growing up in Nashville, I’ve loved Dolly since the moment I heard her magical voice and saw her luminous personality shine onstage,” Witherspoon said. “Beyond her magnetic presence as an artist and performer, she is one of the greatest songwriters and storytellers of our time. Her impact knows no bounds – as a musician, actor, writer, businesswoman, activist and all-around incredible human being – Dolly Parton is not only an icon to me, but a true inspiration to women and girls everywhere. My admiration for her grew to even greater heights when reading Run, Rose, Run, a gripping and heartbreaking book I couldn’t put down. I couldn’t feel more honored to be working alongside her and James to bring this remarkable story to the screen.”
In recent years, in addition to her music career and philanthropic efforts, Parton has been producing a steady stream of entertainment content, starting with her two “Coat of Many Colors” films on NBC and the more recent “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings” series and the film “Christmas on the Square” for Netflix. The celebrated artist has said that wants to keep putting faith and family content out, “because I don’t think we have enough of that anymore.”
Speaking of her drive to deliver the content, Parton has said that she lives “on spiritual energy creative and spiritual energy because I do go a lot. I work hard. I work really, really hard. But I love my work. When you go through family problems or heartaches, personal things, it’s always hard. But that’s when you actually have to lean on God for even more. But I really feel like I have a calling. I always felt I had a mission. I don’t know what all it is. But I feel like God told me early on, that feeling that I was supposed to go until He told me to stop, and He ain’t said nothing yet about quitting. So I ain’t said nothing about retiring yet. But I just know that I will go until I can’t go anymore.”
“Run, Rose, Run” was published on March 7, 2022, by Little Brown and Company and debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list. Parton also released a companion album of the same name on March 4, 2022, through Parton’s Butterfly Records. That album debuted at #1 on the Current Country albums, American/Folk and Bluegrass Charts.
Set in Nashville, Run, Rose, Run is about a young woman who comes to country music’s capital city to pursue her music-making dreams. The source of her heart-wrenching songs is a brutal secret she has tried desperately to hide, but the past she has fled is reaching out to control her future—and it may destroy everything she has worked for.
“I’m proud, excited, and honored to be working with my good friend Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine on the movie of Run, Rose, Run from the novel I co-wrote with James Patterson,” Parton said. “James and I love Reese and look forward to working with her and her wonderful team.”
Along with “Run, Rose, Run,” Hello Sunshine’s upcoming films include the highly anticipated adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing (Fox 2000), Something from Tiffany’s (Amazon), and Your Place or Mine (Netflix) starring Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. On the series side, upcoming scripted projects include Daisy Jones and the Six (Amazon), From Scratch (Netflix), and Surface (Apple TV+).
“It has been a joy working with Dolly Parton on this book,” Patterson said. ” It’s a great story that we are both proud of. And, in partnership with Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine, we will produce a great movie.”
Watch the lyric video for Parton’s “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” from her “Run, Rose, Run” album below. For more information on the novel “Run, Rose, Run,” click here.
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