‘War of the Roses’: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman to Star in Remake!!

The War of the Roses has been reignited. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman have been tapped to star in a remake of the dark ’80s comedy. Deadline reports that the two UK stars will play the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner roles in the remake, which is set to be helmed by Jay Roach.

The film, which Roach is directing for Searchlight Pictures, will center around the initially blissful relationship between Theo (Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Colman) Rose, who seem to have it all – thriving careers, loving children, and a dynamite sex life. However, when Theo suffers a professional setback, it all starts to crumble – and the downfall of the Roses is going to make Marriage Story seem like a conscious uncoupling. The script is set to be written by Tony McNamara, who penned the last two Yorgos Lanthimos films, The Favourite and Poor Things – the latter of which featured Colman in an Oscar-winning role.

What is ‘The War of the Roses’?

Based on Warren Adler‘s 1981 novel of the same name, The War of the Roses was directed by Danny DeVito and produced by James L. Brooks. DeVito also starred in the film as lawyer Gavin d’Amato, who narrates the film as he relates the twisted tale of Oliver and Barbara Rose (Douglas and Turner, who DeVito starred with in Romancing the Stone). The two experience enormous financial and personal success over the course of their marriage, but their once-devoted love curdles into hatred and resentment, eventually resulting in a bitter, violent divorce that threatens to destroy both of them. The film also starred Marianne Sägebrecht, Dan Castellaneta, Sean Astin, and David Wohl. The film was an enormous success upon its release in 1989’s holiday season, making $160 million USD worldwide on a $26 million budget, and garnered Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture and for Douglas and Turner‘s performances.

The War of the Roses remake has been in development since 2017. Cumberbatch will produce the film under his SunnyMarch banner, as will Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland, Colman, Ed Sinclair and Tom Carver for South of the River, Michelle Graham, and Austin Powers director Roach, who recently helmed the Apple comedy series High Desert. Jonathan R. Adler and Michael Adler, from Adler Entertainment Trust, will executive produce.