Stan And Ollie stars Steve Coogan and John C Reilly are reuniting for thespian comedy The Players.
One of the biggest cinematic comedy treats of 2018 was Stan And Ollie, a love letter to arguably the greatest double act of all time. At its centre were two powerhouse performances from Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, who not only captured the perfect comic timing but also the onscreen chemistry.
The film was written by Coogan’s regular collaborator Jeff Pope. The pair also made Philomena and last year’s Jimmy Savile drama, The Reckoning.
According to Deadline, Coogan and Reilly are reuniting with Pope for The Players, a comedy about actors performing a Shakespeare play in New York.
Peter Cattaneo will direct from Pope’s script. Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope are also co-producing with Protagonist Pictures’ Dave Bishop, George Hamilton, James Pugh and 42’s Josh Varney.
Cattaneo, Coogan, Pope and 42 recently collaborated on The Penguin Lessons, an adaptation of Tom Michell’s memoir, in which he takes a job in Argentina in 1976 and decides to adopt an orphaned penguin he finds on the beach. It recently premiered at TIFF, but there is no announced UK release date.
The synopsis for The Players reads as follows:
The Players is set in 1847 New York, where Edwin Forrest (Reilly) holds the undisputed title as the country’s top Shakespearian actor. Playing magnificently to a sold out, raucous crowd every night, Edwin is “The Star”. But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy. Each man wants what the other has, and the rivalry between them starts a hilarious and unforgettable battle of egos.
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more. You can currently see Coogan in Dr Strangelove in the West End.
