Jessica Chastain & Andrew Garfield To Play Disgraced Televangelists In Michael Showalter's 'Tammy Faye'

Michael Showalter has turned from one of the guys behind “Wet Hot American Summer” into an acclaimed comedic director in no time, thanks to his work on his two recent films “Hello, My Name is Doris” (delightful and underseen) and, of course, “The Big Sick,” which was nominated for an Oscar in 2018. Now, Showalter is keeping his director’s chair warm with a new feature film, joined by two of the biggest stars in the world.

Variety is reporting that Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield have signed on to join Showalter’s upcoming film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” The new biopic is based on the documentary “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. As you might guess, the story follows the rise and fall of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, the married couple were the face of a religious fundamentalist movement on TV screens around the world. As does happen in this sort of thing, the incredible popularity of the duo ended badly, as rivalry, sex scandals, and money issues brought the swift downfall of the Bakkers.

As you might guess, Chastain and Garfield are set to play Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker, respectively. Chastain is an Oscar-nominated actress that has been in a number of great films over the last two decades including “The Tree of Life,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Help,” and will next be seen in the upcoming ‘X-Men’ film, “Dark Phoenix,” as well as “It: Chapter Two.”

Garfield has also played in the world of superheroes, with his starring role in two ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ films. However, to call him an action star would be a misnomer, as he’s probably best known for roles in “The Social Network,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Silence,” and his most recent outing in “Under the Silver Lake.”

Showalter will likely begin work on “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” after he completes his next feature, “The Lovebirds,” which is slated to debut in March 2020.