Sean Penn Back in 'The Three Stooges'

In the words of some cackling, mustachioed villain from an old melodrama, "Not so fast!" Sean Penn ditched the Farrelly Brothers several months ago, choosing to address things in his personal life (like his divorce from Robin Wright) and feeling the need to take a break rather than go after one of the more curious post-Oscar performances in recent memory. You remember: Sean Penn as Larry Fine from The Three Stooges. Well now, that's back on. Bobby Farrelly tells The Boston Herald, “We got him back. He always said he wanted to do it after, you know, taking care of his family.” The film will go in front of camera in August, pushing it back from its current (but always tenuous) November 2010 release date. That will give the Farrellys time to find an actor to play Curly, who, if I were guessing right now, would be Zack Galifianakis. I mean, once you think about it, it's hard to think of anyone else, isn't it? Jim Carrey was rumored, and it's a bad rumor at that, but he is not playing the key role. Actually, because they've got Benicio Del Toro lined up for Moe Howard, you do have to wonder if a guy like Galifianakis is the right option since his castmates are two of the better actors of that generation. But that's my pick. I guess you could go for Phil Hoffman, but man, that would be a weird, weird Three Stooges. In the meantime, the Farrelly Brothers are working on a lower-budget comedy called Hall Pass, which will star Owen Wilson. The Herald says that movie's about "a ho-hum hubby whose wife, looking to spice up their sex life, gives him a “pass” to play the field for a week. Hilarity ensues." Hilarity would be a welcome change for Farrellys, who haven't directed a funny movie in a decade. If you're keeping score, it's three fantastic comedies between 1994 and 1998, and six very average to bad movies from 2000 to 2009. If three's a trend, what's six? I'm not sure about the Hall Pass thing, but a Three Stooges movie is not exactly the sort of thing you'd think they'd enter into so much closer to their worst work than their best. It's a long way up and I have to say, I just don't get any of this at all.

Comments

[Im a Jew!!!]

I'm glad to see the brilliant Sean Penn back into action, I'm happy the Farrelly's to hold off & see how everything pans out

Deep down back in the day when the news broke, I thought this just can't be true, I mean why take off a nice comedic turn after your pretty groundbreaking turn in MILK...dont believe me but its true...

Excellent casting choice COLIN...

I mean who woulda thought, of course, Zach Galifiankis is THE MAN for this role, the guy really hit it big w/ fame at the right exact time....
----I thought Carrey could do it too, I mean he's a comedic genius & a pretty good actor for himself, but I'm indifferent...

Hey never thought of Phil Hoffman, that would be great too, I mean any1 who has eyeballs can tell the man is the most talented out of bunch (besides maybe Penn, a tossup)
-----He'd be a stretch but a great stretch....1 of my favorite actors is Phil Seymour Hoffman, so I would definitely be pleased if he took the role

[Ramsay]

Yup, Penn, Del Toro, and Hoffman would be a pretty weird 3 stooges. I don't think of any of those guys as being slapstick funnymen, but Galifianakis could make the mix pretty interesting, though there is no doubt he is the least talented of the three when it actually comes to "acting."

But really...are we going to see the Stooges because we want to see epic acting, or because laugh riots are expected to ensue?

[Get The Big Picture]

Well, that's just it...do you think of Benicio or Penn as guaranteed laughs? Penn stopped being funny almost 30 years ago. Of course, the Farrellys stopped ten years ago, so...

[common]

This has fail written all over it. Penn is ok, not great and please tell me what comedy he's done. Del Toro i don't have a problem with because moe is the straight man. But this movie falls under the catagory of least needed movie in the history of movies. The original worked because of the time and actors involved. Can anyone say Pink Panther... or Little Rascals...

[Get The Big Picture]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and he was excellent. But again, that was almost 30 years ago. I do agree with you, though, that I don't get the why behind it at all.

[Ramsay]

I really think Penn is a talented actor. But most certainly not for this movie. If this movie even has a shot at being funny they would need a really really really really REALLY good funnyman like Carrey to pull it off. I'm wracking my brain and I can't think of ANY other person that could make it work, and even then, it would probably still suck.

Face it, the Stooges were big years and years ago, but they are pretty much a nonfactor today.