Sean Penn, Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Toro are The Three Stooges!?!
Filed under: Comedy, Casting, Deals, MGM
Whenever you imagined a dream cast to play the Three Stooges in a movie, did you ever imagine an Academy Award-winning gay activist would be the first to sign? Sean Penn (?!) has agreed to play Larry in The Three Stooges, according to Variety, and Jim Carrey is negotiating for the part of Curly. Reportedly, Carrey is preparing to gain 40 pounds so he can play the role. And to play Moe? None other than Benicio Del Toro is being targeted by MGM and the Farrelly Brothers.
Jim Carrey would be a natural, of course, but Sean Penn? Does he have a funny bone in his body? His last attempt at a humorous role came in 1989's We're No Angels, a woefully unfunny film in which Penn was teamed with Robert DeNiro. Sure, he made his bones as the stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it takes a real stretch of imagination to think he can play a Stooge. Stranger things have happened, though, and maybe Penn will pull a rabbit out of his ultra-serious persona and shock us all.
Del Toro doesn't have much of a comedy resume, either, though Variety's article claims he "showed comic chops" in Guy Ritchie's Snatch. Peter and Bobby Farrelly have written the script and will direct. The film is intended to be "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." Production is scheduled to begin in the fall for a 2010 release.
Am I underrating Sean Penn's comic abilities? Are you itching to see Penn, Carrey, and Del Toro as The Three Stooges?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-25-2009 @ 2:32PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
I can no longer read this website because my mind just exploded.
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3-25-2009 @ 3:14PM
owl said...
Well Sean Penn is a great actor but he is beyond insane so I won't see anything with him in it. That being said, I don't see why he couldn't pull it off.
-Owl
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3-25-2009 @ 2:58PM
MCW said...
He does look like Larry, you must admit (Cut the goatee off). I don't get Benicio Del Toro though. Seems like any actor could do a better Moe than him.
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3-25-2009 @ 3:01PM
Paul said...
April Fools Day is in a week, not today. Way to go.
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3-25-2009 @ 3:32PM
jmchez said...
Michael Chiklis already played Curly:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214698/
That was a good biopic , so need to do another. Also:
Yeah, I agree that this could be an April Fool's joke.
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3-25-2009 @ 3:34PM
jmchez said...
Oops, I missed the "not a biopic" part. Even worse idea.
Reminds me of the "Mr. Magoo" movie. Times have changed and some things are not the same when done today.
3-25-2009 @ 3:38PM
MattT said...
You never know with Sean Penn, he gives off that "don't give a shit" look that Larry mastered in every episode.
Jim Carrey - eh whatever, he still thinks people like him.
Benicio, I have no clue what they're thinking.
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4-04-2009 @ 10:16PM
venice said...
What they're thinking is brilliant!
3-25-2009 @ 3:37PM
Schwartzy said...
When I first heard that this movie was being made I felt that it was a horrible idea because of the fact that these guys were incredibly unique characters and any remake of The Three Stooges would actually be an insult to them. It reminds me of when I heard that Dumb and Dumbererer 2 would not have Jeff Daniels or Jim Carrey. It was horrible and an insult to D&D1, fans, Jeff Daniels, and Jim Carrey. The two men playing Harry and Lloyd were doing there best imitation, but not acting.
But now this news comes up and it adds the slightest of hope for me. If you were to say that the Farrelly Brothers, Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro were making a film together then I'd be pumped regardless.
This movie NEEDS highly talented actors and I think they got 'em.
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4-04-2009 @ 10:13PM
venice said...
I am rooting for these guys. Jim Carrey or Johnny Dep as Curly? hmmmmmmmmm...Jim it is'
3-25-2009 @ 4:10PM
Jeremiah Moon said...
Am I the only one that is friggin' blown away by the idea of benicio del toro?? His eyes make him look so much like Moe!
I guarantee it'll make sense once we see him in makeup and costume.
Also, who else is hoping they do this in B+W? Unlikely, I know, but how cool would that be?
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3-25-2009 @ 4:06PM
blue lanugo dot com said...
What you're saying makes total sense, setting aside his genius turn as Spicoli in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
Are you nuts?
Sean Pean can do anything he wants.
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3-25-2009 @ 4:44PM
JaySin420 said...
This is just a terrible idea no matter who they cast. Some things cannot be remade and 3 Stooges are right up on top of that list along with Laurel and Hardy.
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3-25-2009 @ 9:14PM
drewtheg said...
this is a horrible idea. a remake of the 3 stooges...is nothing sacred?
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3-26-2009 @ 1:22AM
Batzarro said...
Not a move I expected from Benicio. And Sean Penn? Are the Stooges going to Hugo Chavez's house or what? I am officially intrigued and scared by the Stooges movie..
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3-26-2009 @ 4:45PM
Eric said...
Penn yes!, Benicio huh?, Carrey NO. There are no fat, chubby, or otherwise appropriate actors or comedians who can do the Curly role? It's not like there are that many great roles for heavier actors, so why give it to someone who, apart from being wildly unfunny, is also 100% physically wrong for the part?
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4-04-2009 @ 10:12PM
venice said...
You are so wrong. These three are going to be brilliant!
4-09-2009 @ 8:54AM
mina said...
hi i want email the sean penn
please.. reply me soon
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5-27-2009 @ 7:52PM
ab said...
are you people for real - sean penn not funny ?-
if you have ever seen him in sweet and lowdown, u-turn (which is a dark comedy), fast times at ridgemont high, and others he certainly does have a comic flair - even on talk shows he has a great sense of humor -
of all three actors picked for the three stooges i think he is the best -- jim curry physically is total wrong --
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6-07-2009 @ 5:17PM
ted said...
i think they should have gone with shemp mmuch easier shoes to fill anyone but carrey
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