Oprah to Star in Terms of Endearment Remake from Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels is reportedly in talks to direct Oprah Winfrey in a remake of the 1983 Oscar-winning tearjerker Terms of Endearment for Paramount Pictures. Daniels previously directed Oprah to an Oscar snub for her role in The Butler.

Seriously, who was asleep at the wheel, Academy? (She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for 1985's The Color Purple.)

The original Terms, based on the novel by Larry McMurty, starred Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger as a contentious mother and daughter who reconcile only for the daughter to die of cancer. MacLaine tour de forced her way to a long overdue Oscar for Best Actress, while the film picked up an additional four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson.

Those are some mighty big shoes to fill, but if anyone can do it it's Oprah and Lee Daniels. Oprah's been making people cry for decades, and Daniels is great at overblown melodrama (see: Precious, Paper Boy, Empire). Now the only question is, who's going to play Oprah's daughter?

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There are, thankfully, any number of talented young black actresses that can step into the role: Moonlight's Janelle Monae and Naomie Harris, the underrated and stunning Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o, not to mention Condola Rashad, Cynthia Erivo--honestly, you know what, just get out the awards ballots now.