Are we looking at the career resurgence of Chris Tucker? After years of out of the spotlight, Tucker is about to bounce back in a major way this weekend with his hilarious, understated(for him anyway) role in Silver Linings Playbook(review here). Some may forget he was also briefly up for a spot in The Watch, but it ultimately went to Richard Ayoade. One of the most sought after gigs in Hollywood is the co-lead spot in the American remake of the French comedy hit, The Intouchables, and Tucker may just be in line for it.
For those who may have missed it, The Intouchables was a great film that starred Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy. Sy played Driss, a black ex-con who becomes the caretaker for a quadriplegic millionaire, with the two going on a number of life-affirming adventures. My homie and fellow Movie Mob member Wilson Morales over at Blackfilm took a moment to ask Tucker about the possibility of playing Driss in the remake, and here's what he had to say....
Tucker: "I’ve seen it and yes, I have been talking with them (producers) about doing it. I hope something will come out of it because I really like the movie and they are in the process of getting it together. So there’s a possibility that it might happen."
We'd previously heard names like Idris Elba, Jamie Foxx, and Chris Tucker mentioned for it, although I always felt like Omar Sy was good enough to handle it himself. Colin Firth has been slotted for the millionaire slot, while Paul Feig is set to write and direct. This would be a big move for Tucker, and would give him a chance to act a fool opposite a stiffer straight-man just like he did in Rush Hour. Could be the perfect fit.
The Intouchables was one of the highest grossing films on the foreign market, and The Weinstein Company gave it a pretty decent roll out here. It's France's entry for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award, and I think it has a solid shot at taking home the gold. In the meantime, you can check out my review of The Intouchables here, then check out Omar Sy groovin' out in one of the film's best moments.
