Cary Elwes is set to star alongside Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in Ivan Reitman‘s upcoming romantic comedy, previously titled Friends with Benefits.
Yeah, yeah, we all know that this title is no longer valid, because there’s another romantic comedy with the same title, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. So, we should call this Untitled Romantic Comedy, right?
Man and woman, problematic relationship, with few comic moments perhaps, sounds like something that’s already seen, but still, some describe it as – an inverse When Harry Met Sally.
This upcoming project will be based on the Elizabeth Meriwether‘s script, which will star Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher as two friends in a solely sexual relationship who develop true romantic feelings for each other.
Can we call it the classic story about how men and women who have no problems hopping into bed together can have trouble actually forming a solid relationship? Yeah, why not…
The film stars Kutcher and Portman as two friends in a no-strings-attached sexual relationship, Kevin Kline as Kutcher’s father, Greta Gerwig as Portman’s brainy friend, as well as Ophelia Lovibond and Ben Lawson, while Olivia Thirlby will play Portman’s sister.
Now we should add Cary Elwes to this cast list, and we already had a chance to hear he will play “a physician who works with Portman’s character and develops a flirtatious relationship.”
Elwes was most recently “seen” in Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol and will re-team with the director for a “re-imagining” of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.
This untitled comedy is scheduled to start shooting next month and has an announced January 7, 2011 release date.
I had such high hopes when I read this script, however when heard Ashton was cast in the lead my hopes dropped. This film needed two strong leads to carry the subject matter, not an actor who can’t convey emotions.