I, too, hope this fim stays strictly in the planing stages. Even though Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson are fine actors, they would be totally out of place in a Stooges film. All six Stoogs are gone. If we really need a Stooges feature film, why not re-release some shorts into theaters? It would serve as promotion for the DVD sets, and give second and third-generation fans a chance to see the Stooges the way they were intended, on the BIG SCREEN. I am glad to see MGM getting involved. At least that company has a legitimate connection to the Stooges' history.
As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I can recall my mother taking me to a local theater to see
Stoogemania. For all it's faults, the film served as a tribute to the boys without actually trying to recreate a brand new version of the Stooges. The Three Stooges will always be Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp and the two Joes, Besser and DeRita. Crowe and Gibson are NOT Stooges, and neither is Jack Black or Larry David. The only person I could ever imagine playing a Stooge is Billy West. He does a great impression of Larry. It's hard to find comic actors who impersonate Mr. Fine, but Billy has it down pat. That said, he's probably too old to be considered for the role. Plus, he isn't a marquee name, so he probably won't be considered. I've always thought they should stick with unknowns. Marquee names bring too much history to the film. It's the same with the dramatic 9/11 film
United 93. Almost all of the passengers on the plane were unknown actors. Having a big name would have been distracting to the story being told. It's a similar situation with a Stooges recreation. If it must be done, and it appears, unfortunately, that it must, they should stick with unknowns. I still wish they'd abandon this ill-fated project. Give it a rest, guys!
