The loooooong awaited movie by the Farrelly Brothers may soon be coming to pass. This "so-called" film has been bandied about Stooge sites for at least two years, perhaps longer, yet not one inch of filming has taken place so far. (at least to my very limited knowledge, that is) Stooge sites have commiserated over who should play Moe, Larry and Curly in this film; even the Farrelly's can't make up their minds.
So ... here is your chance to make your suggestions for the roles of Moe, Larry and Curly in the "maybe-it-might-happen-if-we-want-to-lose-money-big-time-on-a-movie-project" to pony-up the dough for the film.
Farrelly Brothers Still Poking Around With Three Stooges Flick
Hhhmmm ... a present-day Moe, Larry & Curly, interacting in "ultra" modern times, yet still retaining their Slapstick punches and gouges and eyepokes and kicks and bonks ... sounds like a huge flop-of-a-film in the making. Personally, I'd pay money to watch it, simply for the sake of being able to say how much I hated the flick on this and other Stooge discussion boards, and to say "I told 'ya so, ya lamebrain" to the Farrelly's.
I've gotta go with Fred on that one. I'm not opposed to remakes in general but I don't like this one at all. Mostly because the Stooges were THOSE GUYS (yea all 6 of them) and their trademark characters being places in situation, including many where they were placed into the persona of other characters (like the Nazi Germany spoofs "You Nazty Spy" & "I'll Never Heil Again".) It was those guys who made the characters and situations funny. New comics should create their own characters and comedy troops. Like Broken Lizard (Super Troopers & Club Dread) or The Blue Collar Comedy guys. You couldn't just get two guys today and call them Abbott and Costello, nor can you just call 3 new guys The Three Stooges.
I would guess it's just the families of the Stooges trying to find yet another way to generate revenue through characters their fathers created/inhabited. If it does get greenlighted and filmed, I would expect many changes to the Stooges format and characters.
"Sointenly."
Found this article posted March 7, 2008:
THREE STOOGES MOVIE
Farrelly Bros. Three Stooges Movie
It's getting more and more convoluted as the months pass by with this so-called "Gonna Be Made" flick.
Shrinking the heads of Moe, Larry and Curly to fit on actors bodies so they can be kids in an orphanage? Geez ...
Anyone else get the sense they are messing with us?
Here's what IMDb posts for The Three Stooges, slated for a release date of (get this) 2009 ...
(if you click on the "full synopsis" link, [the one that says "contains spoilers"], you'll find the movie, according to IMDb, is in it's death throws)
Who knows ... Total Recall was in the trash can for years until cash cow Arnold picked up the tab and had the movie made.
IMDb Three Stooges (2009)
I REALLY hope this flick will happen before 2012 ... so at least I could watch it before the world ends ...
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1090186-three_stooges/news/1647657/as_the_farrelly_brothers_pass_andquotthree_stoogesandquot_movie_rights_go_elsewhere
Here's a copy of the above link posted in October 2006 stating the Farrelly Bros. were "outa here" and that the forthcoming "Stooge"movie was in limbo.
As The Farrelly Brothers Pass, "Three Stooges" Movie Rights Go Elsewhere
by Jen Yamato | October 13, 2006
Film rights to bring the beloved slapstick trio to the big screen have changed hands in Hollywood many times, and the latest turnover has First Look Studios making the picture instead of Peter and Bobby Farrelly.
The Farrelly brothers seemed the perfect people to update the shenanigans of Larry, Curly and Moe -- after all, they gave the world "Dumb & Dumber," "Kingpin," and "There's Something About Mary."
But many other comic filmmakers have also failed the Stooges (including Mel Brooks), and the Farrellys' Warner Bros. deal to write and direct has expired.
From Variety:
"First Look, working with C3 Entertainment, said it intends to stay true to the flavor of the original Stooges, who created their own brand of slapstick...'Various people have had various ideas, but we want to keep the traditional wild-and-crazy aspect,' [C3 Entertainment prexy-CEO Earl] Benjamin said."
Makes ya wonder if the post I made on March 30 is true or not.
I'm assuming that the date on this link is Nov. 4, 2008 ... (no year stated) otherwise its a red herring with no reason for thought.
It seems that MGM is wanting to get the Farrelly's back into the "Three Stooges Movie" mindset.
(Note the reference to Mel Gibson as a "Three Stooges Expert")
The Next 3S Incarnation (Groan)
Well, friends and neighbors, it appears (as far the internet chatter is concerned) that our beloved Farrelly Bros. ARE going to make a Three Stooges movie after all, AND with a hopeful release date of Nov. 20, 2009. Here's another link confirming the above link.
Peter Farrelly says: "We know this is extremely difficult to pull off; we realize some Stooges fans will be upset no matter what we do".
I'm still concerned that what they will "do" is add scenes of Larry, Moe and Curly with toilet humor.
If we don't like it, at least we can just watch their other upcoming new film that Variety reports, "Walter the Farting Dog".
Variety Stooge Movie Buzz
Next update ...
"Walter the Farting Dog" stars The Jonas Brothers and is set to be completed soon. The Farrelly's then will set their sites on The Three Stooges, and currently they are shmoozing Johnny Depp to play Moe - Sean Penn to play Larry, and they are still searching for a Curly, although some movie websites say that Vin Diesel is being considered.
Does this combo sound reasonable for a Stooge-like movie?
Buzznet.com Johhny Depp to play Moe
It appears MGM is serious about this Stooge movie!
Sean Penn is set to play Larry, and is reported to be currently taking voice lessons from Billy West, the man who has perfected sounding like Larry, and uses his Larryish talents to voice Stimpy on Ren & Stimpy cartoons.
Benicio Del Toro and Jim Carrey are in negotiations to play Moe and Curly, respectively. (It seems the "Johnny Depp" thing didn't pan out) Carrey is even said to start a weight gain program soon so he'll look more like the plump Curly did.
MGM is hoping for a release date sometime in 2010.
Variety Reports on Stooge Movie
Y'know, bro, I was going to leave a post about this, but you beat me to it. BTW, Fred, my new email address is Benn. If ya wanna get in touch, that is.
"Oh, wise guy!"
Waiting and arguing for several years to get a movie in production ...
(Hhhhmmmm .... MAYBE this was a Farrelly Bros. ploy to get died-in-the-wool Stooge fans to watch the no-good movie in first run?)
Based on looks, Kevin James would be a better Curly. However, Carrey is more manic, and closer to Curly's mannerisms.
Nabbed a great photoshop pic from the net ...
Photoshop pic
Yet another wrinkle in our quest for a Three Stooges Movie ...
It looks like our long anticipated, beloved, longed for, reviled, hated, and any other adjectives known to be used to keep the idea of a Three Stooges Movie afloat is now in deep **** with this tidbit from Business Insider Mag ....
From Business Insider...
MGM Hunting For A Way To Stave Off Studio Debt Crisis
Hilary Lewis |May. 14, 2009, 4:21 PM|
For the past few months, all we've heard out of MGM was development news related to its FAME movie, THE THREE STOOGES and THE MATARESE CIRCLE. It seemed like the Lion was getting ready to roar back as an independent producer next year.
But that might not be soon enough for the studio's debt holders. Although MGM generates roughly $1 billion in annual revenue, its free cash flow is only believed to be $500 million a year, which isn't enough to repay its $3.5 billion in debt, due next April.
So, the studio's owners (a Sony-led private equity consortium including Providence Equity Partners, TPG and Comcast) have formed a creditors committee and hired investment bank Houlihan Lokey to explore restructuring options. MGM's been pursuing the same for months through its own financial advisor, Moelis & Co.
For years, the studio's been generating revenue from its extensive library, but as DVD sales have dwindled that source of income has been running low. The studio also has a number of high-profile movies in the works, but they keep getting pushed back and, with the exception of this fall's FAME, won't be released until next year.
In fact, The Hollywood Reporter suggests the situation may be so dire that the studio might not survive to put out those titles:
Cash-flow concerns have sparked talk of auditors' potentially issuing a "going concern" warning by the end of June. Process insiders said those working on restructuring options are on high alert that business as usual is over for the Century City-based studio. But concocting a palatable solution for MGM -- whose operations have swelled in recent years to an estimated $150 million in corporate overhead -- may or may not prove doable, even for the smartest of consultants.
However, THR adds, "a well-placed source stressed that the issuance of a going-concern warning is a theoretical possibility but is considered unlikely. Short-term debt payments are relatively nominal, and MGM's revolving credit facility through JPMorgan Chase won't expire until next April."
Options being pursued include attracting new capital, selling studio equity, reducing operations and even, as a last resort, liquidating the company. But these are tough times to be seeking movie money and although MGM has been on the hunt for new capital for months, it hasn't found any yet.
IF MGM is going belly up, what will this do to the movie industry?
MGM Gasping for Air ... as a service to my above post, this further submission from Business Insider ...
Hilary Lewis|May. 18, 2009, 4:45 PM|
Relativity's Hedge Fund Backer Buying Up MGM's Debt
Relativity Media's hedge fund-backer Elliott Associates has been acquiring MGM's debt, The Hollywood Reporter says, lending some credence to The Wrap's report that Relativity may be trying to amass a large stake in the studio.
Elliott has acquired $300 million, or 7% of MGM's nearly $4 billion in debt, at 58 cents on the dollar.
The New York-based hedge fund is Relativity's main source of capital. Meanwhile, both Ryan Kavanaugh and Relativity, through its outside PR rep, had no comment on The Wrap's report, suggesting that they may still be looking at the MGM.
The Hollywood Reporter outlines one possible goal of Elliott's debt purchases:
Elliott has been helping Relativity morph from a financier of studio slates into an independent producer. So one possibility might be that Elliott would eventually agree to wipe clear its hundreds of millions in MGM debt in exchange for Kavanaugh's gaining rights to a number of titles in the studio's film library.
Indeed, acquiring control of any or all of MGM's library would be the best strategy for Kavanaugh, as this is the most profitable part of the company, and that would answer the questions we posed earlier about what movies Kavanaugh would be releasing through MGM.
Additionally, while acquiring MGM seems like a bizarre move for Kavanaugh to make, one source notes that making a play for MGM would be a way for Kavanaugh to keep his dealmaking game of musical chairs going without giving anyone time to stop and realize his deals might not be doing so well.
It's MGM's fault. They won't give us the TV shows that we want on DVD, nor release the MGM movies that we want on DVD.
If they did both of those, they'd make some money
And here we go again. Sean Penn is dropping out of his role of Larry and also participating in the movie "Cartel". Here's the dope on it.
Sean Penn Drops Out of Stooge Movie
Carrey Out - Giamatti In ...
The revolving casting door on this decade-old comedy-of-errors idea continues. Peter Farrelly says that Jim Carrey has dropped out as Curly, and Paul Giamatti has signed on as Larry...
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/more_names/blog/2009/08/three_stooges_casting_news.html
Keep in mind that the Farrellys have been trying to get this going since 2000. Although the Farrellys are probably sincere in their efforts, all the studio press releases, particularly MGM's of the past several months, are publicity gimmicks.
As the L.A. Times said last March (when the Carrey/Del Toro/Penn story went out), this was a ploy by MGM to generate investor interest in the studio; MGM is tottering on bankruptcy. This Stooge film is now where it's always been... in discussion stage only. When you read that Actor XYZ has "signed-on," what that actually means is, Actor XYZ made some sort of verbal OK and/or letter of intent... and the studio has compensated the Actor with a nominal fee, or charitable contribution in their name, or linked them to another, real, in-house studio project, for permission to use their name in ongoing press releases.
Don't take this latest news as real news. Because none of it has been real news. Just Hollywood doing Hollywood stuff.
Dated Oct. 5, 2009, this appears to relate that JC is gaining pounds for the movie.
Carrey In? (Again?)
Dated Jan. 5, 2010, this moviefone article claims Sean Penn back in as Larry Fine ... (yawn)
Give me a release date or shut up!
Penn Back In?
Here's the IMDB page for the Farrelly Brothers The Three Stooges movie. Jim Carrey and Sean Penn were not involved; Larry David (as Sister Mary-Mengele?) was. It was released (by Twentieth Century-Fox) in April, 2012, and is currently playing on HBO.
