Variety Magazine

Two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton is saying hello to TNT's upcoming small-screen remake of Neil Simon's classic feature "The Goodbye Girl." 

The "Everybody Loves Raymond" co-star is in final negotiations to star as a woebegone divorcee who finds herself sharing her New York apartment with a would-be stage actor. Marsha Mason snagged an Oscar nomination for playing the part in the original 1977 film opposite Richard Dreyfuss.

Simon is writing and executive producing the new take on "Girl, " with Ron Ziskin and Dave Collins ("Stealing Sinatra") on board as exec producers. The film is a co-prod between Warner Bros. TV and TNT. 

Heaton said she's both "ecstatic and nervous" about the part. 

"When my agent at UTA brought up the possibility, I didn't dare entertain it," she said. "I just love that movie, and Marsha Mason was incredible. And for anyone who loves theater, Neil Simon is an icon." 

Casting on a male lead is expected shortly, with lensing set for the summer. The film is expected to debut early next year. 

Simon said while the new version of "Goodbye Girl" will be set in the present, he's not making too many changes to the original script. 

"It's going to be different because of the actors," he said. 

Heaton said Simon's writing stands out because of its ability to tap the deepest levels of human emotions. 

"There's this one scene (in 'The Goodbye Girl') were Marsha Mason goes to see Richard Dreyfuss in 'Richard III,' and it's so painful and humorous just the way humanity is," Heaton said. "And that's what Neil Simon's writing is like. I think that's what it has in common with 'Raymond,' where you explore everyone's humanity with love."