When The Three Stooges – that’s Larry, Curly and Moe – got their start in the 1930s, little did they think that a film utilising their characters would be ready just in time to celebrate the centenary of the group.
That’s the way it’s headed given the speed at which the new Stooges film is developing. Because a new company has now nabbed the rights to make the thing after Warners and the Farrelly brothers let the option go slack.
Now First Look Studios has thrown its hat into the ring, led by company owner Henry Winterstern. They’ve bought the rights from C3 Entertainment, which was founded by the Stooges in 1959 to look after their interests.
While various Hollywood types have tried to work up this mythical new version of a Stooges movie (including Mel Brooks and Sony), no one has yet been successful, usually falling at the casting stage of the race. "Various people have had various ideas, but we want to keep the traditional wild-and-crazy aspect," C3’s Earl Benjamin commented to Variety. "We've been talking to a lot of the studios, but Henry Winterstern gets it."
By the time they’re ready to shoot, they won’t have to cast anyone new – the crew will just be able to call up the Stooges themselves, as futuristic robot zombie actors. Still, fingers crossed this time.