Casting getting closer for “The Three Stooges” movie

This one is about a month old, but in case you haven’t heard:

Variety reports that MGM and the Farrelly brothers are closing in on their cast for “The Three Stooges“: 

Sean Penn to play Larry…   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…  and the studio is zeroing in on Benicio Del Toro to play Moe.

Variety says the film is not a biopic, it says it will be a comedy built around the antics of the three characters that Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Howard played back in the day.

Peter and Bobby Farrelly, who wote the script, have apparently been working on the project for more than a decade.

Production will begin in early fall for a release sometime in 2010

What Just Happened is an awkward look at making movies through the life of a producer losing his foothold in the industry.

This was a different way to tell to tell a story… as a credit to the moviemakers, it felt more like a reality show or documentary than a movie… but I’m still not sure whether I like it or not.

 “What Just Happened”

(2008) (rated: R for language, some violent images, sexual content and some drug material) (1 hr, 44 min)

Starring: Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Kristen Stewart, Catherine Keener, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Michael Wincott, Moon Bloodgood

Director: Barry Levinson – “Man of the Year” (2006), “Sphere” (1998), “Wag the Dog” (1997), “Rain Man” (1988), “Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987), “The Natural” (1984)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

The Plot: Two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer who’s having a rough time trying to get his new picture made.

MY TAKE:

Robert DeNiro’s character has serious problems.  So does this movie.

In some ways, the movie was very good… the pacing, the acting, the awkward tension and living the life of a man who’s career is spiraling out of control.

But the movie focuses so much on the inner workings of Hollywood, that it doesn’t have mainstream appeal… there are a lot of inside references as the movie pokes fun at Hollywood that is lost on wider audiences.

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