I found this late last night and wanted to sleep on my anger before sharing with you. As I've discussed with you before, Emma Thompson has penned the screenplay for the new adaptation of My Fair Lady, which has been in pre-production for a couple of years now. Nothing is moving forward, and while out promoting her new Nanny McPhee film I suppose Emma wanted to remind everyone that she has a film waiting to be made, and the best way to get attention would be to slag on Audrey. Yes, Emma Thompson trash talks Audrey Hepburn.The Daily Mail has the story, though really, I think the title tells you more than you want to know: 'Audrey Hepburn was twee, mumsy and really couldn't act': Emma Thompson's scathing appraisal of My Fair Lady star. The link will take you to the article, and that's all I'm going to say on this for now. I did actually write quite a fact-filled rant schooling Emma Thompson on how wrong she is on all this, but I'll spare you - unless you'd really like me to share.
To be totally honest with you, the news is that there isn't really any news. I mean, the gossip world is still abuzz about remaking My Fair Lady - I guess they really want it to happen - and places from wee celebrity gossip sites to The Guardian are feeding the flames with their "inside news," but after doing some digging, I can only tell you what's not happening.
Keira Knightley is not playing Eliza Doolittle. I know some of you will breathe a huge sigh of relief over this (myself included). Perhaps at one time she was attached to the project, or at least hoped she would be cast, as director Joe Wright, who has worked with Keira on both Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, was once on board to direct Lady. But he is off now, and so is any thought of Keira as Eliza.
Carey Mulligan is not playing Eliza either. Though she is linked to the project on IMDb, and screenwriter Emma Thompson herself said that Carey had been definitively cast via The Guardian, poor befuddled Carey herself shoots down that pesky rumor in an interview on Collider.Daniel Day-Lewis isn't playing Henry Higgins, and neither is Hugh Grant. Just to clarify.In short, no one has signed on yet, as far as anyone can tell, and the only thing that is for certain is that there is a screenplay, and Emma Thompson wrote it. Beyond that, just gossip. Also, remember that this remake has been in the works for ages now, much like the infamous Why Can't I Be Audrey Hepburn?
While I still haven't heard anything set in stone and announced officially, it seems to be a widely assumed fact that Keira Knightley is signed to play Eliza Doolittle in the upcoming film remake of My Fair Lady. Information is still scarce, and no other cast has been announced (though wildly speculated on), but now IMDb has a development page up for the film, with a release date of 2010. You have to have a Pro account to see any details, and I don't really feel like paying to get one piece of information, but Keira's page also has one developing project on it, which I'm betting is MFL.
While doing some wandering on the Internet, I found that Wikipedia has collected some more information. Supposedly, actress Emma Thompson will be writing the screenplay (longhand, with a fountain pen), and it's to be a somewhat updated version of the classic film and play. Even more startling is the persistent rumor that Brad Pitt and George Clooney were looking to produce the movie together, as they have worked together many times before, but had a huge falling out over the fact that they both wanted the plum Henry Higgins role. What's more, some are saying that Brad wanted partner Angelina Jolie as Eliza! I'd say to take all these rumors with a grain of salt or two, but it still makes for interesting news, no?Hopefully we'll get some more concrete news before too long, and can then focus on the long wait 'til production photos, trailers, and the film itself. Has this new information made anyone feel better -- or worse -- about the remake? Also, what are your views on redoing this role so famously? Audrey herself wasn't immune to criticism when she was cast, despite the fact that Warner Bros. thought Julie Andrews was too unknown to star in the last great film musical, so how will Keira and her career hold up after trying to fill the shoes of two such memorable women and their versions of Eliza Doolittle?
I found this late last night and wanted to sleep on my anger before sharing with you. As I've discussed with you before, Emma Thompson has penned the screenplay for the new adaptation of My Fair Lady, which has been in pre-production for a couple of years now. Nothing is moving forward, and while out promoting her new Nanny McPhee film I suppose Emma wanted to remind everyone that she has a film waiting to be made, and the best way to get attention would be to slag on Audrey. Yes, Emma Thompson trash talks Audrey Hepburn.
