Despite several false starts, it looks as though The Weinstein Company’s Intouchables remake is beginning to set the wheels in motion today, with Deadline reporting that Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are in negotiations to headline.
It should be noted that, while neither deal is signed and sealed at the time of writing, talks are reportedly at an advanced stage, as The Weinstein Company is eager to fire up production on its remake of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s French dramedy during the summer. Prior to today’s announcement, both Colin Firth and Tom Shadyac had flirted with key roles in the retelling. Elsewhere, citing sources close to the production, Variety claims that Simon Curtis has closed a deal to helm the western remake.
First released in 2011 by TWC, Intouchables has been ripe for the remake treatment ever since it pulled in a respectable $416 million overseas.
Such success led to the studio snatching remake rights for the comedy-drama, recruiting Ghostbusters director Paul Feig to pen an early draft of the script. In essence, it tells the tale of a well-to-do aristocrat who, after being paralyzed in a hang-gliding accident, recruits “a young man from the projects to be his caretaker.”Emerging from his turn at the helm of Bridesmaids, all signs pointed to Feig taking the reins of Intouchables, though he ultimately chose to pass up the chance to direct.
That task has seemingly fallen on the lap of My Week with Marilyn helmer Simon Curtis. While we await an official confirmation from The Weinstein Company, we know that Intouchables will usher Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart before the cameras at some point in the summer.
