Gregory Blair Adapts Frances Metzman's "The Cha-Cha Babes of Pelican Way"
The Californer/10131297

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Californer -- Award-winning scribe Gregory Blair (Behind the Smile, Deadly Revisions, etc.) has agreed to write the screen adaptation for Frances Metzman's bestselling novel "The Cha-Cha Babes of Pelican Way". Metzmen's novel is a mix of mirth and murder in the craziest retirement community in Florida. The Chicago Tribune called Metzman's mix of comedy and mystery "fun thrills" and Blair is poised to bring those thrills to the screen tenfold.

"The story is like a fun, quirky mix of Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote," Blair said. "It seemed destined to be a movie or television series. We talked about the options and decided a film was the best choice because lovers of the novel would want the whole story and a television spin-off could always come later." Blair's experience with both comedies and mysteries seems a perfect match for Metzman's best-selling brew of three lovable retirees who become mixed up with serial murders.

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The story follows thoughtful, addiction survivor Celia, impulsive flirt Marcy and sarcastic curmudgeon Deb: three best friends who would do anything for each other. Even move a dead body. Which they do! And that's just the start of a hilarious romp that slowly becomes a nightmare as the body count rises and the three become murder suspects. Add to the mix an old boyfriend, a high-strung daughter, a suspicious caregiver, embezzlers, illegal drugs and an insurance scam and it's going to take some pretty fancy footwork for these ladies to Cha-Cha their way out of it all.

"Fun and games aside, the female-centric novel fills a void for the huge audience of aging adults and also celebrates the relationships women share and depend upon: friendships, family, and so on," Metzman said. "Gregory understood that instantly and is excited to translate that to the screen where those same audiences and ideas are getting more and more attention." Blair added "All three leading ladies are over fifty-five, so it's really going to be a star vehicle for some of our great grand dames of cinema!"

Blair plans to have the screenplay ready for producers this summer, just in time for a vaccinated entertainment industry to begin ramping up production.

For more on Gregory Blair, see www.gregoryblair.info

For more on Frances Metzman, see www.francesmetzman.com