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Rumor: Laurie and Sutherland Starring in The Yellow Mark?

by Alex Billington
April 22, 2009
Source: DesmontandoHollywood

Now this is a comic book movie you probably haven't heard of yet. A couple of various international movie sites - Cineman.ch and DesmontandoHollywood - are reporting major casting updates on a project called The Yellow Mark, an adaptation of a classic 1950's Belgian comic book primarily known as The Yellow 'M'. Apparently Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia revealed at a press conference during the Malaga Film Festival that Hugh Laurie and Kiefer Sutherland will star as Blake and Mortimer, the two leads in the film. I'm only skeptical because it would be quite a feat to cast these two TV stars in the same project.

Edgar Jacobs first created the Blake & Mortimer comic series in 1946; it has remained in print for six decades. They are considered classics in the Franco-Belgian comic book tradition. In Europe, the stories are held with the same high esteem as Tintin, Lucky Luke, Asterix and Alix. The Yellow Mark is a mystery set in 1950's London, in which Captain Francis Blake (Sutherland) and science professor Philip Mortimer (Laurie) look to identify a shadowy criminal known only as The Yellow Mark. The project is being produced by the French company La Fabrique de Films and is reported to have a budget of around $33.6 million.

A few of the reports also mention that John Hurt and Mark Strong are being considered for other roles. Álex de la Iglesia said at the press conference that he's hoping to shoot in the first half of 2010, so this is still a while off, which makes this casting even more sketchy. It's not that I don't trust these sites, it's just that neither Kiefer Sutherland nor Hugh Laurie really do that many movies, and I can't imagine a French-Spanish-Belgian adaptation of a comic being their next big project. I'll admit it sounds pretty cool, and seeing these two together would be great, so I'll hold out hope until we receive additional confirmation.

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Related categories: Casting, Movie News, Rumors

http://desmontandohollywood.blogspot.com/ Eduardo

Well, this is NOT a rumor; this has been confirmed again by Spanish helmer Álex de la Iglesia today. The deals are closed w/ the 2 tv stars; the only thing in the air is the start date of the shooting because of the tight agenda of the actors.
mtz

The only problem is (even if the original comics are in french) that Black and Mortimer are very british, I can't really see american actors in those roles (though Sutherland looks quiet a bit like Mortimer) Great comic books indeed, telling stories in every genre there is, SF, Thriller, ...
http://www.google.com Marcos

Hugh Laurie it´s british!!
Johnbo

and Sutherland is Canadian.
mtz

ok my mistake (don't speak without knowing first ) but canadian is not british and Mortimer is the more important character in those comics ...
bltzie

Jack Bauer And Gregory House together, I'm Sold!
Trish

Kiefer was born in London, England, so he is also British.
Veresna

Of course, they are also "co-stars" of 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' although I'm fairly sure they never were in the same room together.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

#8 - Yea, I don't like saying that either... Recording voice work for the same movie means nothing really. They could've even recorded months apart, not at the same time. That's why I never referenced MvA, but what #6 said is the most accurate bit of hype!
Fisherr

I would love to see that.
Ed Hengeveld

I would cast Laurie as Blake and Sutherland as Mortimer, though. That would more resemble the comic characters.
http://www.gorzas.es Gorzas

#1 Hugh Laurie has rejected that movie because he hasn't time to do it but Kiefer is in the project. Sorry, but this is only half of true.
http://manxome.tumblr.com/ manxome

i don't think getting the two of them would be all that hard
Squiggly

"wtf!? Hey, guys... Spielberg and Jackson are working on some obscure european comic book that was popular in it's own country decades ago..." "Are we working on one of those, yet?" "Well, no... but there's this Spanish guy who's been shopping around this other obscure, old, foreign comic lately..." "GRAB IT! How fast can they get it produced? I want to be out right after this Spielberg project to get the most free publicity... Rush it if you have to." "Wait, wait... It looks like Spielberg and Jackson are making TWO movies. We can probably squeeze this one right in between them." "Oh, great. Do that, then." And that's how this film got made. The End.
http://desmontandohollywood.blogspot.com/ Eduardo

#12, I don't think the helmer made an announcement based on a false fact. Check the info before making a statement.
http://www.gorzas.es Gorzas

#15 My sources are good, Hugh Laurie rejected that project because he hasn't enough time. Maybe he has changed his mine but, for what I know, Hugh Grant, George Clooney and Clive Owen have been proposed for this role (I don't know if anyone has done a response yet). And, I'm sorry, but my sources are really good: http://twitter.com/Gorzas/status/1180964467 (see the date in the link, it says 5th of February). #14 that's not true. This project is older than Spielberg's project. PD: sorry my bad english...
MLN

Laurie has definitely bowed out. The project has a 15 week shooting schedule beginning next March and Hugh could only clear 8 weeks. Sutherland is still playing Francis Blake. They're now looking for a new Mortimer.
Uffe Ziemelis

anyone know if this movie is greenlit or not happening???????????