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Hugh Laurie in Discussions to Star in Dark Comedy 'Oranges'

by Alex Billington
February 8, 2010
Source: 24 Frames

Many fans have been waiting to see "House" actor Hugh Laurie make the jump to the big screen in a lead role, not counting voice roles (like in Monsters vs Aliens) or supporting roles (like in Street Kings or Stuart Little). Potentially some good news for Laurie fans, as the LA Times' 24 Frames blog is reporting that Laurie is "in discussions" to play the lead role in a new project called Oranges (or The Oranges written by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer). You may remember seeing it on the 2008 Black List. It's a dark comedy about a man who has a romantic relationship with the daughter of a family friend, which turns their lives upside down.

The LA Times also says that Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche New York) is producing the project, but it doesn't seem to have a director yet (although IMDb lists Julian Farino as director). They call this a "dark dramatic comedy" and say Laurie will be playing the "creepy/sympathetic older man" who gets into the relationship. As for the younger key role, they've heard its between Leighton Meester and Mila Kunis, but one of them hasn't been chosen yet. So this isn't officially confirmed casting news, but if everything stays on course, we could finally see Hugh Laurie finally starring in a feature film.

Although this isn't the exact same, I'm kind of reminded of Robin Williams' edgy appearance in the dark comedy World's Greatest Dad, which is sort of becoming a cult hit. I hope this turns out to be more than just a cult hit, but from the sounds of it, it's the kind of strong lead performance that will be remembered after premiering at a festival. Hopefully this comes together with Laurie on-board - we'll keep you updated!

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