Well, it seems like Russell Brand and Helen Mirren got on well on the set of Julie Taymor’s upcoming version of “The Tempest”; the Oscar-winning actress has just signed on to play the foil to a drunken playboy, played by Brand, in Warner Bros’ upcoming remake of “Arthur.”
The original film, a huge sleeper hit in 1981, featured Dudley Moore in the title role, and John Gielgud as Hobson, his valet, but the latter role’s undergone a sex change now, and will now be Arthur’s long-serving, long-suffering nanny (Meryl Streep was previously rumored for the role). The plot is almost beat-for-beat, the same as the original — Arthur is a British aristocrat and vagabond in New York, whose life is full of drink and sex, with Hobson the only person who can clear up after him. His family threaten to cut him off unless he marries into another wealthy family, just as he falls in love (this time with Naomi, a tour guide and aspiring writer).
We’ve had a quick flick through the script, which is by “Borat” writer Peter Baynham, and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it. It’s a little formulaic, and the arranged marriage plot feels a little dated, but for the most part it’s been brought up to date nicely — it starts with Arthur crashing the Batmobile from “The Dark Knight” into the ‘Charging Bull’ statue on Wall Street. The role’s clearly been written with Brand in mind, and it’s not a huge difference from his role in “Get Him To The Greek,” but, like the original, there’s plenty of heart in the script (in fact, we’d argue that Baynham blends the comedy and drama more successfully than in the original); as long as Brand can pull it off, it should give him an opportunity to expand his range.
The film’s being directed by Jason Winer, the director and co-creator of the excellent ABC sitcom “Modern Family,” so between that, the script and the presence of Mirren, we’ve got reason to be hopeful for this, although we imagine it will depend on the viewer’s tolerance for Brand as an actor. But it’s not like the original is an untouchable classic, and we’d rather see a remake of this than, say, “Tootsie” or “Trading Places.” We’ll get a sneak peek of how the film’s two stars work together later in the year when “The Tempest,” in which Mirren plays another gender-switched part, is released (Picture via Russell Brand’s Twitter feed)