The Intouchables wasn't just a comedy hit in its native France, it proved to be a global phenomenon nobody could have expected. Voted the "cultural event" of the year in France, the film(my review here) tells the story of an unlikely friendship struck between Philippe, a wealthy quadriplegic, and Driss, his streetwise Senegalese caretaker. Released here in America only a few weeks ago by The Weinstein Company, it's proven to be something of a success here as well, so it was no surprise when we learned a remake was in the works. Paul Feig(Bridesmaids) has been attached to direct the film, titled simply Untouchable, with Colin Firth circling the rich guy role, originally played by Franocis Cluzet.
However, it's the role of Driss that has drawn the most controversy for being a little too clownish and...dare I say coonish for American audiences to accept. Even in my review I note that the role, and much of the humor, would have to be tweaked for American audiences. The first step in doing that comes down to casting, and The New York Post states that Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, and Idris Elba are all circling the role. I thought Omar Sy was so good, so approachable and charming in the role that he could conceivably play it himself, but The Weinsteins clearly have eyes on a bigger star. Off the bat, none of them seem like good choices for different reasons, but one they all share is that they are each simply too old. Part of what makes the bond between Driss and Philippe so uncommon is their age disparity, with the former's youthful vigor inspiring his stuffy friend to embrace life once again. Out of these three, Elba would be the best choice, but it's just as likely none of them take the role. We shall see.
Michelle Williams and Jessica Chastain are being sought for the female lead role, although I'm not sure which character they mean. I can only assume it's that of Philippe's house assistant, who Driss spends the bulk of the film hitting on. They're too young for pretty much every other female part in the story.
None of this has been confirmed yet, and I hardly count The New York Post as a reliable source for information on anything, so take this with a grain of salt.
