Virginia Madsen draws 'Number 23' with Carrey
Wednesday January 18 12:59 AM ET


"Sideways" star Virginia Madsen is in talks to play Jim Carrey's wife in "The Number 23," a psychological thriller from director Joel Schumacher.

Elisabeth Shue had been cast in the wife role in November but recently stepped down when she learned she was pregnant. New Line Cinema then entered talks with Nicole Kidman, but a deal was never reached because of scheduling conflicts. The movie begins shooting Monday in Los Angeles.

In the film, Carrey comes across an obscure book titled "The Number 23." As he reads it, he becomes increasingly convinced that the book is based on his own life. His obsession with the number 23 starts to consume him to the point that he soon realizes that the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could ever have imagined.

Madsen's character is Carrey's wife, who also is a character in the book. Danny Huston ("The Constant Gardener") will portray the couple's mutual friend, whom Carrey thinks is after his wife, while Rhona Mitra ("Boston Legal") will play a character in the book called Suicide Girl.

Madsen was nominated for an Oscar for her work in the arthouse smash "Sideways" and next appears opposite Harrison Ford in the thriller "Firewall," which opens February 10.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/2006011...3757475300.html

Sorry if it was posted before.

Pd: Hey there!! I came back!!!

Thank God.

Hi einsof . Welcome back!

Now skanky could mean Thank God you are back, but more likely she means she is pleased Nicole is not in the film!!!!

Thanks for the information. Scarlett had raised it as a dim possibility but we did not think it was likely.

I am a bit with skanky here. Just trying to imagine Nicole and Jim Carey in the same film is too hard for my brain to visualise. And maybe Nicole should avoid comedic roles for a while after Bewitched and TSW suffered at the hands of critics. Although both times at the cinemas I went to people laughed in the movie and seemed to enjoy them, a return to the less comedic would be better. My thoughts.

It was not so crazy. Joel Schumacher is a nicole´s friend since "Batman forever" and wanted to do a movie version of CSI with Nicole time ago, and Carrey was going to work with Nicole in "Dog days" and "Bewitched". Maybe that´s why they approched Nicole to substitute Shue. Anyway, who knows. And the rol is not for Nicole, so, who cares!!

Pd: I respect my first nick, but now I should be Einsof27!!!! Kisses.

Number 23 is not a comedic role, it is a psychological drama. The reason I said thank God is because of the director, I am not a fan of his work at all save for Falling Down and Carwash (writer), he directed Batman Forever.

The problem with TSW and Bewitched is not because they were comedies, it is because they weren't very good. Next time, she should work on better scripts, she has done it before with MR!, TDF and Birthday Girl, it is like saying she shouldn't do drama because Birth and The Interpreter didn't do well with critics, I hope she does a comedy soon after Fur, Visiting, Baz's project (and TLFS), laughs wouldn't go amiss, not just mainstream comedies, she just wastes her talent on them.

**big sigh of relief**

If they're saying scheduling conflict, it could be Nicole is due to start work on a film in the next month or so. Baz's movie perhaps?

Scheduling problems??? But is she shooting now any film??

Don't forget that Mr. Carrey was supposed to be "Darren" in "Bewitched" then stepped out (not that "Fun with Dick and Jane" was the better choice.)

Just reading the summation it sounded like a drama or "dark"comedy rather than an outright comedy. Other than "Dick and Jane" Mr. Carrey has been making interesting choices, and if you can't see him and Nicole in the same film - have you seen "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"? His performance was one of the best of that year and one of the most woefully underrated in a terrific film.

And foxy, I have to agree most respectfully with skanky. It's not the comedy itself, it's the quality of the film, and the people working on the project. She was hilarious - scary, but funny - in TDF and the other films skanky mentioned. Gus Van Sant, Baz Luhrmann -- our Nic is at her best when working with the best directors and best scripts. Speaking of "Eternal Sunshine" I remember watching it and thinking "Why isn't Nicole being offered a smart comedy like this?" "Sideways" "Adaptation", etc - they are few and far between, but I would want Nicole going for the nuggets like those, if she wants to do comedy.

Also, it's entirely possible that she throws in these occasional big-budget Hollywood studio films for the nice salary that accompanies them and allows her the leeway to do all the smaller films which don't pay nearly so well (in relative terms of course. I suspect most of us could live very comfortably off her scraps.) Stepford and Bewitched were both US studio product - you get what you get, folks. Again, TDF and BG were smaller projects by independent directors - MR had a big budget but a no less-fiercely independent director and team.

so...WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO??????????????????

She is not shooting anything now but Number 23 is probably a 3 month shoot and she is going to need to prepare for her role with Baz or whatever next she might be doing. Scheduling conflict doesn't necessarily mean she is shooting at the same time. No sane actor wants to work on a 3 month movie shoot only to take a short break or no break at all before going to the next one, it will be exhausting .

Number 23 is not comedic in any way, it is a psychological drama/thriller. I saw Eternal Sunshine and couldn't understand why Winslet was getting all the praise, sure she was great but Carrey was the gem in the movie, he is the one I remember after so many months.


I think that on several occasions, we concluded that she is working with Baz this year, we don't know when shooting starts, I am sure that when that info. becomes available, we will know.

Actually quite relieved as well, I didn't like the sound of it much. ITA with Skanky btw, she can do comedy, but she has to work with better scripts (to die for was a brilliant script :)).

greetz
flamenca

Don't need to clarify for me, Skanky ! Joel Schumacher is not always very subtle...
For example, his adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera was excessive, and as Webber said "it is the kind of movie musical that deserves to be locked up in a dank, water-filled dungeon and left to molder."May be he wanted to do a musical soap opera...


yes Red, and it seems to be written for him... You can see it, when you see the performance of Will Ferrell: a kind of clone of Jim Carrey, in that film, but it's not the original one...
By the way, When Jim carrey performs like Jerry Lewis, I'm not really interested...


YES Red, the two central performances by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are incredible and unforgettable in this fascinating psychological drama !

Skanky, you're so honest!




I can't imagine Jim and Nicole in the same movie either.



I saw, "Eternal Sunshine", Red and I thought he was awesome. I love that movie, the script is spectacular. Why didn't they offer that role for Nicole?

And I agree it's not the comedy itself. But I'm sure if Nicole could go back she would not do TSW. Sorry, but that movie was awful and I still don't understand why so many good actors like Glenn Close, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick accepted that role. I think they had to re-write the script and there's a whole history behind it.
As for Bewitched, Nicole accepted it, because she wanted to do a romantic comedy and she loved Bewitched as a child.

forgot to say, Welcome back, einsof!

Jima Carrey and Nicole Kidman just don't fit for me. He does more comedy when Nicole does everything, but not in the same style.

Thanks for that, and welcome back!!

i agree, i cant quite picture nicole opposite jim. they are both great actors, but i cant see them together. who knows? they might suprise us and be good together, if indeed they do get to work together...

Ey sweety, thank you!!! I missed you all...

Pd: Every little thing that you say or doooooooo, I´m hung up, I´m hung up on youuuuuuuuuu...

thanks for the news skanky. See how prejudiced I am about Jim Carey...I just assumed it was a comedy. I was thinking of Jim swamping Nicole in a comedy. Jim and Nicole is a non-comedic role would be OK.

I have only seen Jim in The Mask and The Truman Show. Unfortunately I saw The Mask first and found it was not my sort of film. The face distortions were not my cup of tea. A year later I saw The Truman show and realised Carey could play other roles without distorting his face but it was too late.

No, I have not seen Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind but hoping to see it one day. Have heard it is a good film.

On the comedic front. I thought after I was off the computer that I had left out the word "less" adjective with the word comedic from my post and that would possibly cause a bit of debate.

Granted Bewitched and TSW could have been better comedies and were both remakes, but but...after having seen them both I still think a "comedy" only role does Nicole a disservice. In The Stepford Wives especially I could see her playing her character with heart, whereas much of the rest of the cast were playing the role with "tongue in cheek".

This does not mean Nicole need not have a comedic touch to her movies. I would not call Moulin Rouge a comedy, but had its moments of comedy, eg The Elephant scene. That counter-balanced the more emotional dramatic scenes in the movie. Ditto To Die For I would not call a comedy.

Too, a non-comedy need can be fun. Nicole can have a break from darker films like Fur with a role that is not so draining and more fun, more uplifting. Not all non-comedy roles need be depressing. And I gather Fur has concentrated on the more uplifting side of Diane Arbus' life.

Some of you may recall the topic about Nicole being all over the place with her film choices which caused a lot of thought provoking discussion? I guess I am coming down on the side of Nicole choosing roles which always allow her dramatic side to flower. The really light stuff from her teenage years are in the past?

Thanks, einsof!!!!

Welcome!!

Thank you honey!!

Don´t you think that this year is de most unpredictable year for Nicole in wich films is refered?. I mean, since "The hours" we always knowed what she is doing next, but now, it´s a mistery, just rumours, not exactly dates... I´m confused. Need some water. This is killing me.

Pd: I don´t wanna hear, I don´t wanna know, please don´t say your sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

Yes, this year is really unpredictable... but I think it's gonna be one of the best!!

I agree!!!

My first exposure to Carrey was in the TV series "In Living Color" (which interview shows often fail to mention, I've noticed. He was the one white guy amoung an otherwise African-American cast.) Then I saw - to my everlasting dismay - portions of "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective." One of the most vulgar, sexist, homophobic and just plain offensive pieces of cinematic garbage I've ever had the misfortune to be exposed to. I avoided the man like the the plague until "The Truman Show", although there was a moment of "Carrey-esque" shtick that seriously broke character for me.

I can't claim to be a fan of the man, but he is perfect in Spotless Mind, and I agree with both skanky and archer - Winslet was good, and they were fine together but Carrey was essential in that film, the heart of it and the glue that holds it together. (How he did NOT get an Oscar nod .. oh never mind.) Here he does not resort to "shtick" but he still uses his physicality to good effect, if in a more subtle manner than in the past. It's a restrained, tender, heartfelt performance - ok, you get the point. Run right out and see it for goodness sakes, Foxy. (No better time than this weekend, right?)

It's sad I think Nicole would be good in that film, but I *do not like* Joel Shumacher and he really irritates me and he cant direct, look at Batman and Robin.

Nicole take a six month break to help with my movie! Lol!

Scott

I'm OK w/ her not being in this project. I think she has a great two years plan thus far, 2006 she'll have "Fur" and the "The Visiting", two different kinds of movies. And I'm not sure when the Baz-Crowe-Kidman movie is going to be out, I assume it'd be 2007, and if she still is making "Lady of Shanghai" w/ WKK, then she'll have two movies out in 2007 as well... No comedies, which works OK w/ me :) I have to say Nic is brilliant in "To Die For" which is a comedy, though considered as 'dark comedy'....