It's Official! Lindsay Lohan to Play Elizabeth Taylor, Producer Gushes LiLo Has "Sparkle of Today"

Today 11:00 AM PDT by KEN BAKER, TED CASABLANCA AND ALYSSA TOOMEY

Tony Barson/WireImage; MGM

Congratulations, Lindsay Lohan. Gal can finally update her IMDb profile with the role of a lifetime (literally)—she's officially set to star as Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie, Liz and Dick.

There's been mucho speculation for sometime that Linds would take on the iconic role (including some less than subtle hints from the actress herself), but rumors swirled her reputation and her now-completed probation were seriously affecting her chances.

Not so, insists executive producer Larry Thompson, who exclusively revealed to E! News that Lindsay's "perfect" for the part.

So, what's got Larry believing in LiLo and taking a risk with her far-from-flawless past?

"We have wanted Lindsay from day one," Thompson tells E! News in an exclusive interview. "She had a lot in her life that was going on. We needed to give her time to take care of her business, and while we negotiated the deal for her we prayed for her—and wonderfully she has behaved. She's cleared herself and we're ready to start this movie."

What a relief (no doubt LiLo's thrilled). But while Lindsay has cleared her legal slate, she's far from perfect in the public eye, so we have to wonder why, exactly, Thompson felt he could trust the notorious starlet:

"We truly feel that Lindsay Lohan is perfect for Elizabeth Taylor for our movie….I think Lindsay—who is very gifted—deserved another chance," Thompson explained. "We never, of three pages of 'what if's' in the negotiation, there never was 'what if she can't act.' We know she can act."

Yeah, so do we. At least, we did back when Cady Heron (Mean Girls, obviously) took the big screen by storm. This will be Lindsay's first leading role since 2009's Labor Pains and we can't say it enough—gal has iconic shoes to fill.

But like Elizabeth, Lindsay has more gusto than people normally give her cred and it's clear Thompson truly believes in Lindsay's Liz-like qualities:

"We could hire actresses that would be great and people would watch it, but I think that Lindsay brings to Elizabeth Taylor and to our project that sparkle of magic, that sparkle of today," Thompson reveals while tearing up and recounting the emotional rollercoaster of casting the less-than-perfect LiLo. "She is today what Elizabeth Taylor was when we were making our movie and I think while there are a lot of people who know Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and they'll come to our movie."

Linds, we've said it before and we'll say it again: we adore you for this role and think you have that Elizabeth Taylor ‘tude down to a tee.

Here's your ultimate chance for a comeback, babe, we seriously hope you do the Hollywood broad the justice she deserves.

Filming for the flick will begin June 4 and the movie's set to air on the cable network in October.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/ne...z1stPRsZXi

They'll have to dub in someone else's voice. Elizabeth Taylor did not sound like a chainsaw.

I actually love Lindsey and I think she could totally do such a role justice.

This is also a Lifetime movie, though. Kelly Osbourne could do the role justice for a Lifetime movie.

Here's hoping this helps cover some of her attorney and rehab fees.

I've been keeping my fingers crossed for something and I think this is exactly what Lindsay needed for a boost. Say what you want but Lohan is a talented actress. Maybe with this more people will begin to see it. She just needs to keep her ass out of trouble.

musicjunky318 said:

I've been keeping my fingers crossed for something and I think this is exactly what Lindsay needed for a boost. Say what you want but Lohan is a talented actress. Maybe with this more people will begin to see it. She just needs to keep her ass out of trouble.

The thing is, I don't think anyone disputes her talent. I think most people see that.

She just needs to get everything else together.

No one said anything about her talent (or lack thereof).

She is no Elizabeth Taylor - in more ways than you can count.

Genesia said:

No one said anything about her talent (or lack thereof).

She is no Elizabeth Taylor - in more ways than you can count.

I agree. Elizabeth Taylor had a certain grace and finesse in her movies. I'm not sure if Ms.Lohan can pull it off, but we'll see I guess.

CarrieMpls said:

This is also a Lifetime movie, though. Kelly Osbourne could do the role justice for a Lifetime movie.

It says a lot about how far she's fallen. This is not exactly My Week With Marilyn, is it?

Genesia said:

No one said anything about her talent (or lack thereof).

She is no Elizabeth Taylor - in more ways than you can count.

No, she is not.... I don't know where to start.

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[Edited 4/23/12 14:10pm]

runphilrun said:

Genesia said:

No one said anything about her talent (or lack thereof).

She is no Elizabeth Taylor - in more ways than you can count.

I agree. Elizabeth Taylor had a certain grace and finesse in her movies. I'm not sure if Ms.Lohan can pull it off, but we'll see I guess.

You might - but I certainly won't be tuning in for that mess.

If we're really really lucky, maybe she'll end up in rehab halfway through and they'll fill in scenes (hopefully NOT in sequence) with Megan Fox (not reshoot the whole thing, just the missing scenes).

OOOHHHHH I PRAY TO THEEEE CHER I PRAY TO THEEEE!!

johnart said:

If we're really really lucky, maybe she'll end up in rehab halfway through and they'll fill in scenes (hopefully NOT in sequence) with Megan Fox (not reshoot the whole thing, just the missing scenes).

OOOHHHHH I PRAY TO THEEEE CHER I PRAY TO THEEEE!!

I'm hoping she does something silly... not anything life threatening and gets fired.

This movie should not be made, what a freakin' joke, Lifetime that says it all.

It just seems like a really, really odd choice to me.

Her energy is just totally totally different from Elizabeth's - but then again, that IS why they call it acting.

And, she looks nothing like her - despite them managing to find one pic where she looks like she could be her third cousin first removed or something.

It's just a weird choice to me.

Didn't Sherilyn Fenn play Liz once? That made sense to me, but this just doesn't.

The only thing that made less sense was that chick from Twilight playing Joan Jett.

I know one thing she better not get in trouble before she has to shoot scenes. That's all I say.

This is why she needs to do the movie. To remind people why she's famous in the first place.

It pains me when she's compared to Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie and them because Lindsay has actual talent and had a name for a reason.

Wait until you see it until you start critiquing like this.

Even thos LiLo is a talented actress, Idk if she can do this.

But hey, best of luck trying.

As for me, if I want to know more about Liz and Dick, I'll pick up Vanity Fair.

NaughtyKitty said:

Congratulations, Lindsay Lohan. Gal can finally update her IMDb profile with the role of a lifetime (literally)—she's officially set to star...in the Lifetime movie, Liz and Dick.

So...has her agent broken it to her that she isn't starring in a porn flick?

This has "hot mess" written all over it.

uPtoWnNY said:

This has "hot mess" written all over it.

uPtoWnNY said:

This has "hot mess" written all over it.

RodeoSchro said:

They'll have to dub in someone else's voice. Elizabeth Taylor did not sound like a chainsaw.

You're right! Liz actually had a lovely voice. Lindsay is a mess and a very average actress. I have never understood her appeal. This movie doesn't interest me in the least.

I'm interested in watching the movie to see how she does. Maybe she'll actually do a good job?

[Edited 4/24/12 10:46am]

They have about the same nose.

She is a very talented actress and I like some of her movies, but Anne Hathaway would have been a more elegant choice for the role.

alphastreet said:

She is a very talented actress and I like some of her movies, but Anne Hathaway would have been a more elegant choice for the role.

Maybe she'll do the NON-Lifetime movie of Liz's life

NaughtyKitty said:

I'm interested in watching the movie to see how she does. Maybe she'll actually do a good job?

[Edited 4/24/12 10:46am]

Personally I don't feel she's mature enough for the role. But hey, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

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This, after playing Marilyn Monroe in Playboy.

And popping pills for the research.