EXCLUSIVE: The search is on for a trio of 12-year-olds to play pint-sized versions of Larry, Moe and Curly in The Three Little Stooges. C3 Entertainment, which owns the Three Stooges brand and worked with Fox on 2012’s Farrelly brothers Stooges pic, is producing. ARC Entertainment has taken North American distribution rights, andThe Exchange is handling sales beginning at the EFM next week.
The original screenplay is by Harris Goldberg (Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo) who is also attached to direct. Plot details are scarce, however I understand it is not an origins story and rather an original tale for family audiences with a view to building a franchise. Production is scheduled to begin this summer in Vancouver. Casting director Joey Paul Jensen is conducting a nationwide search to find little Moe and Curly Howard and Larry Fine.
This is a separate project to C3’s mooted sequel to the 2012 film that starred Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos. C3 said in May that it was lining up a sequel with Cameron Fay writing the script, and I’m told that film is in development. The comedy made about $55M at the worldwide box office and more than $30M in home entertainment, off of a reported $30M budget.
C3’s Earl and Robert Benjamin will executive produce The Three Little Stooges with ARC CEO Trevor Drinkwater and The Exchange CEO Brian O’Shea. C3’s Director of Development & Production, Pablo Velez will serve as producer. C3 Entertainment’s licensing division will handle merchandising and promotional tie-ins for the new film.
