Oscar Award Nominee Smith To Star In Spielberg's HARVEY Remake?

By: Charlie Piane Aug. 06, 2009

Will Oscar Award nominee Will Smith star in Steven Spielberg's recently announced remake of "Harvey"? Movieline.com is speculating that might just be the case.

Movieline reports that Smith was in the mix when the project was first announced, prior to the widespread speculation that Tom Hanks would lead the picture (Variety recently reported that Hanks has passed on the project).

To read the entire Movieline article, click here.

Steven Spielberg recently announced his intentions to direct a remake of James Stewart's classic film, Harvey. The new adaptation will be a modern take on Stewart's original film. Jonathan Tropper is set to write the screenplay for the 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks co-production. This is the first screenplay for the bestselling novelist.

Harvey chronicles how the friendship formed between Elwood P. Dowd and Harvey, a six and one-half foot tall rabbit affects Dowd's community.

Mary Chase's play, on which the film is based, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944 and was previously adapted by Universal in 1950. The original film starred Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull.

Spielberg will pair with Don Gregory to produce the film that Elizabeth Gabler and Carla Hacken will oversee.

Casting for the film is currently in progress. Filming is expected to start in early 2010.

Photo Credit: Tony DiMaio/Retna Ltd.