Idina Menzel to star in Beaches remake

Idina Menzel is to star in the remake  of Garry Marshall's iconic 1988 tear-jerker BEACHES for Lifetime. She  will take on the Bette Midler role of CCand perform the iconic songs "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "The Glory  of Love."  Menzel will also record several other songs specifically for the project, which will be produced by Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan. The TV film is set to premiere in 2017 with production set to begin in Vancouver on August 15th.  Allison Anders will direct the remake from a script by Bart Barker and Nikole Beckwith.

Beaches follows "the meeting of two youngsters, CC and Hillary, on the Venice Boardwalk, who, though worlds apart in lifestyle, embark on unexpected and lifelong friendship. Menzel's CC is an aspiring singer trying to make it in Los Angeles until she is discovered by a director who gives CC her first big shot. Hillary, (currently uncast but portrayed by Barbara Hershey in the original film), is the daughter of a prominent civil rights lawyer who struggles to find her own destiny. Their friendship-even with its ups and downs-sustains them for decades."

The original film raked in $57 million at the domestic box office, and its anthem, "Wing Beneath My Wings" went on to win Record and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

Menzel was the original Elphaba in Wicked! and has a very  impressive list of theatre credits most recently appearing on Broadway in IF/THEN. Her other Broadway credits include RENT. She also guest-starred on the FOX musical dramedy GLEE.