The Three Stooges

[Banky]

3 Stooges a go at WB Sep. 30, 2003

Source: Variety  by: Mike Sampson


The Farrelly Bros adaptation of THE THREE STOOGES into a feature film has finally been given the greenlight at Warner Bros with an early 2004 start date and a summer 2005 release planned. The project was originally announced in 2001 and since then the Brothers have been trying to wrap their heads on how to bring the iconic trio to the big-screen. They recently completed the script and while exact plot details are unknown, it will be a contemporized version of the Moe, Larry and Curly characters. At the time the Farrelly's were first signed to the project in 2001, they said of the concept to bring them into the present day: "There are great opportunities in putting the film in the present day, with technological developments. What would it look like if Moe stuck Curly's head in a microwave?" The Farrelly's have STUCK ON YOU with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear coming this December and are producing a number of movies including the Johnny Knoxville comedy THE RINGER for Fox Searchlight. No word yet on whether Curly Joe Besser will make a brief appearance. Hell now that the STOOGES are set up at Warners, the same studio as SCOOBY-DOO, perhaps they could make a film based on the one-hour episode of "The New Scooby-Doo Movies" that teamed up the Stooges with the Mysteries, Inc. gang... Maybe the Harlem Globetrotters could make an appearance too.

[SoNowThen]

oh how I remember loving the Stooges as a kid. Particularily 3 Stooges Meet Hercules. Hehehe...

[Banky]

3 Stooges cast rumor Oct. 8, 2003

Source: FilmForce, Boston Herald  by: Mike Sampson


Comedians and comedic actors will likely be begging the Farrelly Bros to let them star in their upcoming THREE STOOGES feature film to pay homage to the genius of the Stooges. But while they could probably have their pic of the comedic litter, it seems the Farrellys might be taking a picture from the NAKED GUN and AIRPLANE book of casting: cast funny roles with serious actors and things are funny. The Boston Herald is reporting that the Farrellys are currently looking at an Oscar-winner best known for his roles in serious dramas. That man? Benicio Del Toro. The paper reported that the Farrellys were in nearby Rhode Island to screen their latest comedy STUCK ON YOU. That's when one of their reporters got one fo them talking about who they'd like cast in the film and Benicio's name came up. Is it a done deal? Have negotiations even begun? Maybe not, but it's a start. Some people might wince at the idea of Del Toro playing a Stooge, but personally I think he'd make a good Moe. I certainly like it better than a Jim Carrey type choice. This is what I call inspired casting. Take a look below and see what you think...Filming begins on THE THREE STOOGES early next year with a summer 2005 release planned.

[MacGuffin]

Peter Farrelly Talks Three Stooges
The director dishes the details on the next Farrelly film!

If you have followed the news of the Farrelly brothers doing a Three Stooges movie, you already know it has been a long and trying road. The brothers have been talking about it for years now, even with various actors expressing interest to play key roles. Somehow, it could never quite get off the ground.

Finally, during IGN FilmForce's recent interview with Peter Farrelly, the writer/director revealed that The Three Stooges would indeed be the brothers' next film, slated to begin shooting early next year.

"The Stooges is something we've wanted to do for years and years," says Farrelly. "It's a very tricky movie to get made. I'm not sure why, but usually our best movies are, so I'm happy about that. If they make it right away, usually something's wrong, it's too easy. This movie took five years to get made, Dumb and Dumber took five years to get made, Mary was not easy to get made. And this one, The Stooges has just been a nightmare, because it's, there's nothing like The Stooges now. It's a lot of hitting. And studios are confused. It's like, 'How does this work and who sees it and who's it for and when does it take place and how do you maintain it?

"We took a long time to write this script. It took us, like, two years but we, finally cracked it. We're doing four 20-minute episodes. So, it's a short movie. It's an hour twenty, which is really all you need for The Stooges. And each episode begins where the last one left off, but they hold together as twenty minute bits and each one begins, you know, they had four theme songs. [He hums the four] And they had two in-between that were combinations. So each one will begin with that. And it will be an old time matinee feeling. And we're thinking of going with complete unknowns or whoever the best actors are. We're thinking of opening the field to everybody and just seeing who the best guys are."
 
No official casting decisions have been made just yet, but a few prominent actors have already thrown their hats into the ring. "Well, you know, we went to actors who were interested and then we ran into problems getting it made. The studio didn't want to pull the trigger or whatever, but Benicio Del Toro has expressed interest in playing Moe and I love Benicio. And Jeff Daniels has expressed some interested in playing Larry. And, who else?

"Sir Anthony Hopkins wants to play Curly," Farrelly jokes.

The new film will be from a completely original script, with no basis from the older films. "We wrote all new stuff. They look the same. It's Moe, Larry and Curly. No Shemp. They look the same, they dress the same, but it takes place present day. We wrote four new things, but we didn't take any of their stuff. We came up with all new things, which was hard. I think people will watch and feel like those are old episodes. We tried to do that."

"It opens [in the] 1950s, a station wagon blows by a building, blows a duffel bag out the window and keeps going around the corner. The duffel bag rolls up, bounces against the door of this big building and a moment later, the door opens. A nun is there [and] she looks around and sees the duffel bag, looks in it, opens it up and a little baby hand comes out [and] doink! Hits her in the eye. And you're off to the races. The first episode is them growing up in an orphanage [and it] ends with them as adults. And then they head out, it goes to present day."

Surprisingly, Farrelly says there will be no pies, but promises plenty of gross out humor in place. "There's no pies. We have no pies in it. You know, we tried to get away from, but there's that kind of thing… There's a famous scene in The Three Stooges, and they did it in about five episodes, where they're eating chowder and there's a clam [makes a noise] squirting them in the face. Well we didn't want to do that very thing… At one point, they're in a hospital and they're trying to get to somebody, so they dress up like nurses, and they're running through the thing and somebody's trying to get them, so they duck into the nursery. And they're standing there, you know, 'Come on, get to work. Look busy!' And they start acting like they know what they're doing and, as they're changing babies, you know. [Pee] starts hitting them in the face, the babies. So one of them laughs, so the other one picks up the baby, squeezes [the baby] and [squish] and they have a baby fight, you know? (Laughs) Finally someone turns the baby around, a big missile comes out. (Laughs) It's the same idea, but we've hopefully made it a little grosser."

Along with all the testosterone-fueled violence, there will indeed be a lone female lead. "Yeah. There's a really good female role. Kind of a bad girl role. That will be really fun to cast. I'm not sure who we'll go with, but it's a great role."

How soon can we expect Stooges on the big screen? "We want to shoot it in March and we want it out a year from now.

[planet_jake]

As a long, long time stooges fan... this sounds GLORIOUS!!!! It's so great to have these guys who UNDERSTAND the stooges humor to be working on the project instead of some idiot studio head, then we'd get something like the recent Honeymooners movie.

Now if only we could get Columbia Tristar to give the original stooges a more through DVD release... Perhaps a 3 disc box set for each year, The Stooges of 1933, The Stooges of 1934 ect... Who's with me?

Now only if they could get it cast. I personally wanted Michael Chiklis to play Curly... but I guess it's too early on to be worried about casting. In any case I can;t wait to see what The Brothers do with it. Yay!

[MacGuffin]

The Farrelly Brothers to Helm Three Stooges Film
Source: ComingSoon

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures is moving forward on a modern incarnation of The Three Stooges, currently known as Untitled Three Stooges Project, with Bobby and Peter Farrelly attached to direct from their screenplay. The announcement was made today by Mary Parent, Chairman, Worldwide Motion Picture Group.

"The Three Stooges are a timeless staple of comedy and when we heard what the Farrellys had in mind we knew it was time for Larry, Moe and Curly to return to the big screen," Parent commented.

There have been numerous manifestations of The Three Stooges but their relationship with MGM dates back to 1933 when the trio appeared in a series of shorts and features for the Lion. The Farrelly Brothers have been working on a modernization of the Stooges, 'slapstick with heart' concept since the mid-90s. But it was their decision to focus on an origin story for Larry, Moe and Curly and thus introduce the three to a new generation that pushed the picture onto the fast track. Audiences have embraced The Three Stooges in a variety of mediums; vaudeville, shorts, television and home video but for Peter Farrelly the communal nature of a theatrical feature remains the perfect experience.

"We love The Stooges! They have been sending the world into hysterics for more than 80 years." Farrelly continued, "Movie goers today deserve their own Stooges and we look forward to introducing them to a new generation of knuckleheads."

Executive Producer Earl Benjamin is equally thrilled by the prospect of a contemporary take, "Now is the perfect time for The Three Stooges to return, we can't wait for family members of all ages to enjoy the fun together, and these days everybody needs a laugh."

Executive vice president of production Cale Boyter and vice president of production Luke Ryan are overseeing the project for MGM. Bobby and Peter Farrelly are producing with Bradley Thomas and Charlie Wessler. Earl Benjamin and Robert Benjamin of C3 Entertainment are serving as executive producers. As casting gets underway the filmmakers are targeting a release date of November 20th, 2009.

[gob]

Never before this day have I understood the right to bear arms in the States. Someone please do what is right.

[MacGuffin]

Johnny Depp Joins The Three Stooges?
Source: Just Jared

Johnny Depp could be starring in the upcoming film adaptation of The Three Stooges, reports In Touch.

The 45-year-old actor could soon be poking Sean Penn in the eye in the Farrelly brothers' forthcoming comedy.

"They want Johnny to play Moe and Sean Penn will be Larry — they're still looking to cast Curly," an insider says.

The Farrelly brothers will work on the Stooges movie after filming Walter the Farting Dog with the Jonas Brothers this spring.

Johnny may have to get a Moe bowl haircut!

[hedwig]

i nominate jim norton for curly.

walter the farting dog sounds like worst movie in film history. cool.

[MacGuffin]

MGM gets its 'Stooges'
Penn, Carrey, Del Toro part of studio's plan
Source: Variety

MGM and the Farrelly brothers are closing in on their cast for "The Three Stooges."

Studio has set Sean Penn to play Larry, and negotiations are underway with Jim Carrey to play Curly, with the actor already making plans to gain 40 pounds to approximate the physical dimensions of Jerome "Curly" Howard.

The studio is zeroing in on Benicio Del Toro to play Moe.

The film is not a biopic, but rather a comedy built around the antics of the three characters that Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Howard played in the Columbia Pictures shorts.

The quest by the Peter and Bobby Farrelly to harness the project spans more than a decade and three studios. They first tried at Columbia, again at Warner Bros., and finally at MGM, where Worldwide Motion Picture Group chairman Mary Parent championed the cause and bought the WB-owned scripts and made a deal with Stooges rights holders C3.

Production will begin in early fall for a release sometime in 2010. The Farrellys, who wrote the script, are producing with their Conundrum partner Bradley Thomas, and Charlie Wessler.

C3 Entertainment principals Earl and Robert Benjamin will be executive producers.

Project will get underway after Penn completes the Asger Leth-directed Universal/Imagine Entertainment drama "Cartel." He hasn't done a comedy since the 1989 laffer "We're No Angels."

The Farrellys have long had their eyes on Del Toro to play Moe. Del Toro, who's coming off "Che," showed comic chops in the Guy Ritchie-directed "Snatch."

The surprise is the emergence of Carrey to play Curly. Howard established the character as a seminal physical comedian, from the first time he appeared in the first Stooges short in 1934 until he suffered a stroke on the set in 1946.

[Stefen]

Sounds like Sean Penn and Benny Del Toro get the Coen's and the Farrelly's mixed up.

[picolas]

why isn't Sean Penn moe? i don't even like the three stooges that much and it seems like a no-brainer. Sean Penn is the one who slaps other people for messing around!

edit: this hypothetical image gives more cred to the idea of del Toro as moe, though.

[Stefen]

^HAH!

Penn as Larry looks like Robert Smigel.

[modage]

this will be THE WORST movie.

[Fernando]

ha! funny I had cero interest in this until pic's pic...now im sold!