Jack Nicholson turns 80 in April, and having not made a film since 2010’s How Do You Know, many in Hollywood had assumed he had retired. Indeed, as recently as last month, The Sun newspaper ran an article with the headline 'Jack Nicholson To Retire'. Almost as if in response to such headlines, it's now emerged that Nicholson will be starring in the English-language remake of German comedy Toni Erdmann, opposite Kristen Wiig.
The original Toni Erdmann, written and directed by Maren Ade, was first released in Europe in 2016, and only saw a UK release last Friday. It starred Peter Simonischek as a fake teeth-wearing prankster father, and Sandra Hüller as his highly-strung daughter who finds herself on the receiving end of her father’s practical jokes.
The film has received universal critical acclaim – including our reviewer here Empire, who called it “a weird, thoughtful, affecting treat”, awarding it the full five stars. It swept the board at the European Film Awards back in December, and will be the film to beat in the Best Foreign Language Film category at this month’s Oscars.
Adam McKay, the director behind Anchorman, Step Brothers and The Big Short, will be shepherding the project as producer, with longtime partner Will Ferrell, and Wiig also producing. Original director Maren Ade will executive produce, but there’s no word on who will helm the remake.
According to Variety, an English remake had been floated since May, but Nicholson was such a fan of the original film himself that he approached Paramount CEO Brad Grey, and the wheels quickly started to set in motion. We’ll keep our eyes peeled on this one – but in the meantime, high thee hence to a cinema and watch the hilarious, moving, surprising, and filthy original.