Widow of famous author seeks help in completing her manuscript

The late author/filmmaker Michael Crichton (1942-2008) Photo courtesy of Universal Studios

Q: Is it true that Michael Crichton has a new book coming out? I thought he died years ago. — EM

A: “Jurassic Park” author Michael Crichton died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 66. He graduated from Harvard Medical School but followed his passion for writing and developing novels, films and television shows (“ER”).

According to People Magazine, Crichton’s widow Sherri was looking for a writer to complete her husband’s unfinished manuscript. She found that writer in bestselling author James Patterson. Crichton was fascinated by volcanoes and took “meticulous notes” on his early works. So Patterson and Sherri worked together in a “joyful collaboration” that “included extensive research into volcanology to ensure the book retained Crichton’s trademark gripping momentum and rigorous scientific rigor.”

The finished novel, Eruption, is now available in stores and online, and there’s a good chance it will one day be seen on the big screen.

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

***

Q: What happened to the planned sequel to Waiting to Exhale? I know there was a follow-up novel that I really enjoyed, but I was hoping to see the cast reunite for the movie. — KK

A: You are correct that a sequel based on Terry McMillan’s book Getting to Happy was in the works, which was the sequel to her novel Waiting to Exhale. Unfortunately, the project was canceled after the tragic death of one of its stars, Whitney Houston. The remaining three stars, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine, did not believe in continuing the film without their friend Houston.

The good news is that Rochon and Devine are part of the cast of “Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted by Love,” an upcoming romance film for Lifetime starring Garcelle Beauvais (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”). Beauvais plays a famous chef who falls in love with a handsome young man 20 years her junior. The film is reminiscent of another of McMillan’s novels that was made into a movie, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.”

The original film premieres on Lifetime on August 17 at 8 p.m. ET.

***

Q: Will there ever be a Desperate Housewives reboot? It seems like now is the perfect time for an updated version of the series. — FA

A: Not if series creator Marc Cherry has anything to say. Eva Longoria, who played Gabrielle Solis on the show throughout its run from 2004 to 2012, says she’s all for it. But she told Entertainment Weekly that Cherry felt he had nothing more to say about the characters that he hadn’t “completely exhausted already.”

You can see Longoria in the new miniseries “Land of Women” on Apple TV+ and in the new season of “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu. “Only Murders” is set partly in Los Angeles, features returning stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, as well as the return of Meryl Streep from season three. Longoria will appear in supporting roles as one of the series’ most notable guest stars, alongside Eugene Levy and Zach Galifianakis.

Send me your questions to [email protected] or write to me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.