Jim Broadbent would play Margaret Thatcher's husband,
Denis, for the British production.
The film, to be directed by Phyllida Lloyd, is set in
1982 and tracks Thatcher as she tries to save her career in the 17 days
preceding the 1982 Falklands War. The 2 1/2-month war was a turning point for
the prime minister, who, after the victory, saw her approval ratings double and
went on to win a second term.
Producer Damien Jones ("Sex & Drugs & Rock
& Roll") came up with the story with screenwriter Brian Fillis.
If a deal is completed, the role of Thatcher would be the
highest-profile character yet tackled by Streep, who has garnered Oscar
nominations for playing real-life women such as whistleblower Karen Silkwood,
author Susan Orlean and cooking guru Julia Child.
Lloyd, a British theater director known for her work in
the opera world, elicited energy and brought out youthfulness in Streep in her
feature adaptation of "Mamma Mia!," which grossed more than $600
million worldwide in 2008.
