A 'revenge novel' written by the fired former editor of Australian Harper's Bazaar is to be turned into a film by the director of The September Issue. Lee Tolloch's acclaimed 1989 book Fabulous Nobodies will be the next project for RJ Cutler, who, given the success of his last fashion film, looks set to have his hands on the new Devil Wears Prada.
The question of who will land the lead role of of Reality Nirvana Tuttle, a fashion-obsessed, ditzy but tough, door girl at a downtown nightclub in Eighties Manhattan, has had the fashion industry abuzz.
The September Issue's RJ Cutler is adapting the acclaimed book into what is set to become the new Devil Wears Prada
The author says that while that choice will be left up to the filmmakers, there are several actresses she thinks would be great. Tulloch told MailOnline: 'Lady Gaga are you listening? She is SO how I imagined Reality to be.'
Author Lee Tolloch wants Lady Gaga to play the lead character Reality Nirvana Tuttle
Other choices are Carey Mulligan, Blake Lively and Emma Stone.
'It's a tricky casting choice because she can't just be funny she's got to be feisty and a bit mad,' she continued. 'But I'm hoping the producers surprise me!'
Fabulous Nobodies was originally penned as a revenge novel after Tulloch was dismissed from the helm of Harper's Bazaar Australia just nine months after its launch for being 'too creative'. The author fled Sydney for New York in 1985, where she began writing the novel, but its initial purpose became something much more affectionate as the plot took shape.
'A funny thing happened - I grew to realise I had great affection for these characters and I think that's why the novel is so popular with fashionistas as well as people who really do think fashion is crazy,' she said.
'No character is modelled on any one person but there's no doubt a lot of people inspired me, from Nell Campbell who had 'Nell's' nightclub downtown and the wonderful Hamish Bowles, to a whole cast of 80s New York demi-monde such as Diane Brill and the club kids.'
RJ Cutler is currently casting for the lead role in Fabulous Nobodies
The satiric story centres on Reality Nirvana Tuttle who spends her evenings selecting fabulous nobodies from the nightclub's waiting hopefuls. She is the kind of nut-job character that not only names for her frocks, but talks to them too, all while sporting a Chanel tattoo in her quest to make the 'right' friends and get into the 'right' parties.
Twenty years after she first wrote Fabulous Nobodies, RJ Cutler partnered with producers Julie Anne Quay (former executive editor of V Magazine) and Gail Lyon (of Erin Brockovich and Gattaca fame), and the trio plan to bring the character of Reality to the big screen.
Asked about her thoughts on how different Reality's world was when she wrote the book, compared to that world now, the author explained: 'I think it's quite different now, in many ways. There was a sense of unfettered creative possibility in the 80s which has been lost.'
'There was also a sense of whimsy. It was all quite silly. We laughed a lot.'
'Everyone is working so hard creating their own 'brand' right now it's difficult to be light hearted. Having said that, though, I think New York will always be the mecca for young people with dreams.'
'Successive generations of newcomers arrive and always get something out of it. It's magical that way.'
Quay explained in a statement the film adaptation will be 'Emma meets Clueless', and no matter who ends up playing fashion's new leading lady, it sounds like she’ll have a killer wardrobe.
