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Sean Penn Back in Three Stooges After Farrelly Bros. Next?

by Ethan Anderton
January 5, 2010
Source: Boston Herald

Back in June of last year, Sean Penn decided that he was going to be stepping away from the industry for awhile to resolve some personal matters. Penn's departure left his then-current projects, Universal's action movie Cartel as well as MGM's Three Stooges, high and dry. But with Penn's marriage to actress Robin Wright Penn sadly coming to an end, it looks like the Farrelly Brothers have convinced Penn to come back on board as the frizzy haired stooge Larry. The Boston Herald (via The Playlist) reports that Penn will star in the comedy, but not until after they finish their other replacement project, Hall Pass, with Owen Wilson.

Of course, you might remember that Jim Carrey backed out of his role as Curly last August, so one more Stooge still needs to be cast alongside Penn and Benicio Del Toro, who is supposedly still taking on the role of Moe. Meanwhile, the Farrelly Brothers have already started scouting locations for Stooges while also doing the same for Hall Pass down in Atlanta. The Owen Wilson comedy follows "a ho-hum hubby whose wife, looking to spice up their sex life, gives him a 'pass' to play the field for a week." No good can come of this! But that's why it's a comedy. In the meantime, hopefully they find someone great to fill Curly's shoes.

At the risk of getting complaints, may I suggest Frank Caliendo? Yes his stand-up and variety show were weak and mostly unfunny, but the guy has the build, the uncanny ability of impersonation and a "comedy" background. He fits the bill a lot better than most actors anyway! Who do you think should play Curly?

Explore tags: Casting, Movie News, Opinions

Dirty Dutchman

If this film does get made with these caliber of actors and the Farrelly Brothers are able to show some of their past potential... then maybe this has a great chance of being successful. I am going to see this film no matter what happens.
AC

I agree with DD, i will see this no matter what, i think if they can get actors who have been out of comedy, like a sean penn type, and bring them back in, it could be huge. look what it did for robert downey jr.
Al

so sad that something I love so much has to be "re-done." I don't care if they say its a homage or out of respect or anything, I dont want this. (yes, i recognize some people might be, just my personal opinions.) And if the resentment twords this project wasn't bad enough, now it turns out Sean Penn will indeed be a Stooge? things keep getting worse. Not only do I not want a generation growing up being familliar with the wrong stooges, but the thought of the association now being with Penn is even more heart breaking. No. I respect what the Farrellys want to do, but no
goliad

what you dont want is some guy pretending to be curly... nyuck nyuck... etc.. i wouldnt suggest frank calienedo. curly had some issues, and you should read the stooges biography by Moe. essentially he was self-concious about having to shave his head all the time, he also was dependent on pain pills and alcohol because the toll that the stooges routine was putting on his body. he was a sad guy that drank and partied. Furthermore, there will be a big scene where curly is sitting in his chair on set and has a stroke and he cant move with the classic single tear going down his cheek when they try to rouse him. definitely not frank calliendo. this is going to sound silly but john farveau would be a good curly, however. i dont think he could pull off the slapstick. maybe kevin smith if you pumped him up with some horse amphetemines and asked him to stop mumbling. in the TV version michael CHilklis (whatever) played curly. thats who you need, chubby and a good character actor how about the Paul blart guy?
Frightened Imate #2

Wish it was more of a Bio-Pic than the usual Farrelly Bros comedy.
movie mike

This is a dead project period
guh

Happy to hear that Penn is back playing Larry!!! but as for Caliendo playing Curly...NO WAY IN HELL!!! Caliendo blows, period. But my choice for someone to play Curly would have to be John C. Reilly. But that's only if, and only if, Carrey did in fact drop out.
Xerxex

the cast should be Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, and Jim Carrey. In my dreams...well two outta three aint bad.
Cody

I agree with the casting except Del toro. It just doesnt seem right for some reason. But the man can do some serious acting and totally change his image completely.... (Snatch,Fear and loathing)
devil

del toro can pull off moe, and penn will be a great larry. and while i think john c reilly is a great actor, he's all wrong for curly. the guy they need-- the guy who can transform himself as well as any actor alive, and who even has the right build for the role-- is reilly's co-star from the first three paul thomas anderson movies, philip seymour hoffman. that dude would be perfect. he's done comedy (lebowski and then some stiller movie), and he did a hellacious hardcore fall off a roof in punch-drunk love, so he can definitely handle the physical stuff. that guy is one of the best actors of his generation, and he would kick ass as curly. and then you'd have three top-flight first-rate pros with great acting chops in place, so when the movie inevitably sucks ass and flops, no one will be able to blame anyone but the farrelly brothers for it... which is exactly as it should be! of course, ideally they would dig up john belushi (or even chris farley), pump in a little of that fluorescent green fluid from reanimator, and presto, casting DONE. but i guess if they could do that, they'd just go ahead and dig up curly howard himself. which really wouldn't be that much more of a travesty than the way they'll be desecrating his memory by making this film in the first place, i guess... but yeah, philip seymour hoffman. and if they can't get him, what about will ferrel? or jack black?
Colin

This movie is the dumbest idea ever. Leave the Stooges alone.
John

You can't force the re-creation of *genius*, so don't even try Hollywood. Look at the cluster f**k the Steve Martin version of Pink Panther turned out to be. Imitation my be the sincerist form of flattery, but comedy can't be imitated. What's next? A 21st century recreation of Henny Youngman? Come on Hollywood. Think up some new creative ideas of your own!
Terence

I can't believe nobody came up with Jack Black to play Curly. He would be perfect. He's funny, full of energy and is a great comedian.
Ed

Kevin James would be the perfect Curly. He's the only guy on earth blessed with the size and physical comedy skills that made Curly so awesome. He can also make really strange noises.
tiger tim

"America better watch out or in a couple of decades we'll all be a minstrel show for Asia." -Gore Vidal 1988 Seeing pointless, franchise slum offerings and cultural incest like this all we can say is -----it's a done deal! -AMEN-