By While Rob Zombie won’t be involved in the Halloween franchise “recalibration” Halloween Returns, he does have another project lined up: a movie about Groucho Marx.
And I’m not against it.
Zombie is a huge Marx Brothers fan; House of 1,000 Corpses is full of overt nods to Groucho Marx character names, ditto references in The Devil’s Rejects. He’ll be adapting Steve Stoliar’s memoir Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House. Stoliar served as Groucho’s personal secretary and archivist, and the book chronicles the last years of the comedian’s life. Oren Moverman (Love & Mercy, I’m Not There) will write the screenplay.
Zombie told Deadline, “After reading the book Raised Eyebrows, a totally new perspective on Groucho’s life emerged. I immediately saw this project as Groucho’s Sunset Boulevard and knew I had to bring it to the big screen. It is a sad, funny, and very dark tale of a one of Hollywood’s greatest star’s final years.”
Raised Eyebrows might be the be project that took priority over Broad Street Bullies, Zombie’s hockey film about the Philadelphia Flyers in the early 1970s. Groucho always wins, guys–just ask Margaret Dumont.
While Zombie seems like an odd choice to direct the project given his horror credentials, I’m all for him working outside of his wheelhouse. There’s something about “Groucho’s Sunset Boulevard” that makes for a great elevator pitch. In fact, it might be the only way to improve Sunset Boulevard. Well, okay, it’s a lateral move, not an improvement. (“Groucho’s _______” works for anything. Groucho’s Yojimbo. Groucho’s Sophie’s Choice. Groucho’s Fury Road. Groucho’s Enter the Dragon. Groucho’s Old Boy. Groucho’s Satantango. “Satantango” would be a great first name for a Marx Brother, by the way.)
What do you think of Rob Zombie doing a Groucho Marx movie? And who should play Groucho?
[via Deadline]