Benicio Del Toro Still the Front Runner for Moe in ‘The Three Stooges’

Following MGM’s reorganization, which placed Spyglass co-heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum as co-CEOs of the studio, we’re finally seeing some momentum from some of the studio’s stalled projects.

James Bond 23 already has a release date and the Farrelly Brothers are eyeing an April start for production on their Three Stooges film with Benicio Del Toro still interested in portraying lead-stooge Moe.

Three Stooges fans have endured an emotional roller coaster ride, ever since the Farrellys announced their intention to bring a new Stooges threesome to the silver screen back in 2009. Since the initial announcement, numerous names have been attached to the three lead roles: Sean Penn as well as Paul Giamatti were both, at one point, set to play zany middleman Larry, and Jim Carrey was considered a lock for the role of knucklehead Curly – until MGM’s legal problems seemingly destroyed the chance of the film ever being produced.

Despite a lot of back and forth over the casting of Larry and Curly, one actor has remained committed, or at least interested, in portraying the the gruff and no-nonsense Moe. Speaking with The Providence Journal, Peter Farrelly confirmed that Benicio Del Toro is still their top choice for Moe Howard:

“We’re casting, but nobody is in right now. Benicio [Del Toro] is the front runner for Moe, but we’ve not made a deal with him yet.”

Though Del Toro hasn’t wavered like his potential cast-mates, it’s important to remember that he isn’t locked for the role  - as recently as two weeks ago we reported on a rumor that Jackass lead Johnny Knoxville, SNL star Andy Samberg, and Australian comedian Shane Jacobson could be on the Farrelly’s shortlist for Moe, Larry, and Curly respectively.The rumor was quickly dismissed as untrue and annoying by Peter Farrelly but still indicates there’s some uncertainty surrounding the casting of the film’s three leads.

As for who might join Del Toro (assuming the actor signs-on) in the iconic roles previously held by Penn and Carrey, it appears to be anyone’s game:

“The problem is that everybody’s gotta read for the part. Our feeling is that it just can’t be your take on Moe. It’s gotta be Moe. Someone could nail Curly’s mannerisms, but if you’re 130 pounds it probably wouldn’t work.”

As we get closer to The Three Stooges production start date in April, it’ll be interesting to see who the Farrelly Brothers decide is, or is not, Larry, Curly, and Moe. Considering their interest in accomplished and diverse actors such as Benicio Del Toro, Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Paul Giamatti, the Farrellys seem to have a unique vision for how to resurrect the iconic comedy trio and it’s unlikely that the directors will turn to typical comedians like Knoxville and Samberg.

That said, if you’re expecting the Farrellys to ditch their slap-stick roots and channel Milos Forman’s Man on the Moon (which starred Carrey as funny-man Andy Kaufman), Peter Farrelly also discussed the story (which, we previously reported, will feature three very different acts with an interlaced story):

“It’s all new material. It’s not a biopic. We want to give a matinee feel to it. But none of the studios had any interest in it at the beginning. There was a lot to prove. We even had to show that in the script, despite all the hitting the Stooges were known for, it could be a PG movie.”

With traditionally slapstick subject matter, and a roster of films including Shallow Hal, The Heartbreak Kid, and Stuck on You, it’ll be intriguing to watch production unfold – and see how the filmmakers utilize an actor like Del Toro, should he sign on the dotted line.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know who you think should play the iconic Stooges.

The Three Stooges is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in 2012.

Source: The Providence Journal [via Cinemablend]

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Jim Carrey Explains his ‘Three Stooges’ Departure

The Farrelly Brothers thirteen year quest to bring The Three Stooges to the big screen has hit yet another roadblock. Although some momentum was gained when Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Jim Carrey were lined up to play Larry, Moe, and Curly (respectively), the project ultimately continued to spin circles in development hell.

Penn was the first to jump ship and even though he later considered returning,  Carrey had by that point decided to abandon the film as well. Combined with MGM’s continuing legal woes, the prospect of a Three Stooges movie became increasingly uncertain.

Carrey recently sat down with MTV and speculated that audiences won’t be seeing the Farrelly’s modern-day interpretation of the iconic trio any time soon:

“I think it’s dead … it’s dead at least with me.”

That may be the case, but just because this incarnation of The Three Stooges movie never came to pass doesn’t mean the Farrelly’s will give up on it altogether. If their passion for the project has carried them through thirteen years of obstacles, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they simply put it on the back burner and return to it again at some point in the future.

Even if that’s the case, don’t expect to see Carrey’s name attached to The Three Stooges ever again. He explains that his departure was related purely to concerns for his health:

“For me, I don’t really want to do anything halfway, and I don’t feel like a fat suit does it … I started experimenting with it a little bit, and I gained 35, 40 pounds. I wanted to gain another 30, 40. When you’re [Robert] De Niro in your 20s or early 30s, you can kind of come back from that. It’s a tough thing to come back from when you’re upwards of 30. Your body can’t carry it or you can have a cardiac arrest.”

And of course there would be the added strain of the Stooges’ well-known brand of physical comedy:

“Put that with Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro slapping me in the head all day long, and someone will lose an eye. It won’t be good … It’ll be like ‘Midnight Express.’ It’ll be awful.”

I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one who’s quietly relieved by this news. I have nothing against Del Toro, Penn, or Carrey – but all three struck me as somewhat unusual choices to play the Stooges. Not as unusual as the decision to make this film in the first place, though; A Three Stooges biopic maybe - but a series of sketches set in the present day? Pass.

Those guys were one of a kind and the influence they’ve had on comedy is already so far-reaching that there’s just no need for a Hollywood re-imagining. I say just let this one go.

Source: MTV.

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