Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman will star in and produce “The Roses,” a retelling of the 1989 film “The War of the Roses” directed by Jay Roach and released by Searchlight Pictures.
The two actors will portray Theo and Ivy, a couple with what seems like a perfect life until Theo’s career takes a big hit, leading to competition and resentment.
“The War of the Roses,” directed by Danny DeVito and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, was a dark divorce comedy that received a BAFTA and three Golden Globe nominations. Roach will direct the new version from a screenplay by Tony McNamara, who recently got his second Oscar nomination for the screenplay to Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.”
Cumberbatch will produce through SunnyMarch with Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland, who have been developing the project since 2017. Colman will produce under South of the River with Ed Sinclair and Tom Carver. Roach and Michelle Graham will also produce with Jonathan R. Adler and Michael Adler of Adler Entertainment Trust as executive producers as part of a first-look deal between them and Searchlight.
“The Roses Searchlight President Matthew Greenfield said, “The story is wildly funny, larger than life, and yet deeply human. With Jay, Benedict, Olivia, and Tony, we have a dream team bringing it to life.”
SunnyMarch’s Ackland added, “We are excited to be working on this special film with such an amazing team. We have long admired Jay’s work, and his vision and passion to tell this story is incredibly inspiring.”
South of the River’s Colman and Sinclair mentioned, “We have been planning this with our friends at SunnyMarch and it has been thrilling to see it come to life under Jay’s passionate and thoughtful guidance. He and Tony are a perfect match for this cinematic comedy.”
Adler Entertainment Trust CEO Jonathan R. Adler shared, “Working with our partners at Searchlight Pictures on this reimagining of the classic movie is a dream come true. We are delighted to continue the legacy of our father’s brilliant work and introduce The War of the Roses to a new generation.”
Cumberbatch most recently starred in Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning Netflix short film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” and will next appear in the Netflix psychological thriller miniseries “Eric” in May. He is represented by Conway van Gelder Grant and UTA.
Colman recently appeared in the Paul King musical “Wonka” for Warner Bros. and will appear later this year in the British family film “Paddington in Peru.” She is repped by CAA and United Agents.
Roach recently directed the Apple TV+ comedy series “High Desert” starring Patricia Arquette and Brad Garrett. He is repped by UTA, Mosaic, and Behr Abramson Levy Johnson.
Paul Hoffman negotiated the overall deal for Searchlight Pictures with Jeff Silberman of King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano for Adler Entertainment Trust. Searchlight VP of Production Richard Ruiz and Director of Development & Production Pete Spencer are overseeing the project, reporting to Searchlight Production Heads DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas.