Stanley Tucci & Cloris Leachman Join Colin Firth & Cameron Diaz In Caper Comedy 'Gambit'

by Oliver Lyttelton
May 16, 2011 8:27 AM
3 Comments

Plus Earth-Shattering, Game-Changing First Look At The Film

Are you a young filmmaker, slowly coming to the realization that the film you've been sweating over for months, if not years, isn't quite going to be what you hoped, even before you start filming. There's one simple solution. Cast Stanley Tucci. Scientifically proven to make every film 15% better, the veteran character actor doesn't just shine in good films, like "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Easy A," but he also proves the few spots of pleasure in terrible ones, like "The Core," "The Lovely Bones" and "Burlesque."

It isn't quite clear which way "Gambit," the long-in-the-works remake of the Michael Caine/Shirley MacLaine caper comedy, will fall: on the plus side, it has a script by the Coen Brothers, and Oscar-winner Colin Firth in his first gig since winning the little golden man, on the other, it has "One Fine Day" director Michael Hoffman, and the long-off-her-game Cameron Diaz. But now, it has Tucci, so things can't be too bad. The Hollywood Reporter broke news over the weekend that the actor has joined the project, along with veteran Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman ("The Last Picture Show").

Firth plays a thief who teams up with a woman (Diaz) to steal a statue belonging to one of the world's wealthiest men. Alan Rickman and Tom Courtenay are also on board, as the the mark, and a character known as "The Major" respectively -- there's no word as yet as to who Tucci or Leachman will play.

Filming's currently underway in London, and Empire debuted a first look at the film. And by first look, we mean Firth wearing glasses and a shirt, and Diaz in a spangly jacket, standing next to some corrugated iron. Come on, CBS Films, you do better than that, can't you? "Gambit" will arrive sometime in 2012.

More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Gambit, Stanley Tucci, Alan Rickman, Cameron Diaz, Cloris Leachman

3 Comments

| Reply
sp | May 17, 2011 6:10 AMReply

It is not fair, Stanley Tucci doesn't age. Also, I want him to get behind the camera again and write another good script. " Big Night " is one of my favorites.
BradZuhl | May 16, 2011 10:29 AMReply

These exclusive "first look" photos that studios release, that show little more than actors looking EXACTLY like they normally do are getting tiresome. Then again, every site seems to post them, no matter how mundane and pedestrian, so I guess they accomplish what the studio wants. This film is definitely a curiosity since it was co-scripted by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Will Kane | May 16, 2011 9:32 AMReply

It's currently filming in beautiful downtown Dalston of all places.