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Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk - 3 Stooges Movie In The Works

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 25, 2009

The trade publication Variety is reporting that MGM and the Farrelly brothers have signed Oscar winner Sean Penn to play Larry in a "Three Stooges" film and are in negotiations with Jim Carrey to play Curly.

Reportedly, Benicio Del Toro is being courted to play Moe in a film that would recreate the slapstick antics of Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard who starred in the "Stooges" short films of the 1930s and '40s.

Filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly have been trying to get this project off the ground for three decades.

Numerous actors have been linked to the project including Johnny Depp. And two other studios were involved, Columbia and Warner Bros.

One 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 set in 1946.

Reportedly Penn, not known for his comedy roles, has hired a voice coach to help him recreate Fine's voice. And Carey will be gaining more than 40 pounds to play the rotund Curley.

Production is to begin in early fall for a release sometime in 2010, according to the Variety report.

The Farrellys wrote the script and want Del Toro to play Moe who along with his brother Jerome "Curly" and Fine took their vaudeville act to Hollywood.

A third brother, Sam "Shemp" Howard became a "Stooge" after Curley suffered his stroke.

Between 1930 and 1959, Columbia produced 190 "Three Stooges" shorts.

Peter Farrelly told Variety that the movie takes place in present day, and "they will look, dress and sound exactly like the Stooges."

"When the economy started turning, we felt like the world could use a Stooges slapfest," he said.

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