Life isn’t so Beautiful for fans of singer-songwriter Carole King. Twisters star Daisy Edgar-Jones is no longer attached to play King in a screen adaptation of the stage musical based on King‘s life. In a new interview with Variety, Edgar-Jones confirms that she has left the film.

Says Edgar-Jones of Beautiful, “That’s no longer happening. I love Carole and I love that story, but it was a year ago that they decided [to no longer pursue it]. I did learn a lot of piano. I think it’s a gorgeous story, and the script probably needs a little more time in the oven.” However, the experience wasn’t a total wash for the British actor: “I did meet Carole King on Zoom, and I was like, ‘This is the coolest thing ever.’ She really enjoyed Normal People, so she was a fan of that and I was a fan of hers. I get so starstruck by musicians, much more than actors, and Carole was one where it was quite hard to keep my cool.” Variety also reports, however, that the film is still in the works at Sony; Edgar-Jones‘ involvement with the project was reported before she had officially signed on. Edgar-Jones, despite leaving Beautiful, is staying busy; Twisters will blow into theaters later this month, and she is next slated to star with Jacob Elordi in On Swift Horses.

Who Is Carole King?

A musical prodigy, King began writing songs with her first husband, Gerry Goffin; both became full-time songwriters when their song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” became a #1 hit for The Shirelles in 1960. Through the 1960s, the duo wrote hits for Aretha Franklin, The Monkees, and Dusty Springfield; King went solo when she and Goffin divorced in 1968. She collaborated with Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, and began recording her own albums. Her sophomore record, 1971’s Tapestry, became a huge hit, rocketing her to stardom. She followed it up with a series of well-received albums, and has continued to write and record. She has occasionally dabbled in acting, as well. She appeared in the films Murphy’s Romance and Russkies, and recurred as music store owner Sophie Bloom on Gilmore Girls.

King‘s life story loosely inspired Allison Anders‘ 1996 film Grace of My Heart, which starred Illeana Douglas as aspiring singer-songwriter Denise Waverly; the film also starred Eric Stoltz, John Turturro, Matt Dillon, and Bridget Fonda. The stage musical Beautiful, which tells her life story via her own songs, premiered on Broadway in 2014, and is to serve as the basis for the upcoming biopic.

Beautiful will no longer star Daisy Edgar-Jones, and is searching for a new lead.

via Collider