BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Zap2it.com) -- Although Jim Carrey originally expressed interest in playing the tall lanky husband married to a witch, he won't be involved with the project, but Will Ferrell may. "We can confirm that Jim Carrey is not doing 'Bewitched,' " says Douglas Wick, producer of the upcoming film that will be based on the 1960's TV show. And about Ferrell, Wick says coyly, "We can't say that he's not doing it." Despite previous reports that it's a done deal, Ferrell's representatives aren't confirming any agreement yet, but since the "Saturday Night Live" star hit it big with "Elf" and "Old School" his price tag certainly has gone up. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is already signed on to do the role of Samantha Stephens made popular by Elizabeth Montgomery, and when the idea was announced Carrey expressed interest in playing her husband, Darrin, who was originally played by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent. Wick tells Zap2it.com during an interview at the Four Seasons for his latest project "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!" that Nora Ephron saved "Bewitched" with a smart new idea for updating the popular TV show. The "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" director and screenwriter has an innovative take on the show which convinced the producers to go ahead with the project, but they're not saying what it is. "Nora came up with a way to make it contemporary but not self-referential like they did with 'Brady Bunch,' and it's not just a straightforward remake," Wick says. "We have expensive scripts from really talented writers, but they were just terrible." The story will take place before the couple has any children, Wick says, but other key characters are expected back including meddling mother-in-law Endora (originally played by Agnes Moorehead), wacky Uncle Arthur (originally played by Paul Lynde), as well as befuddled Aunt Clara, the uptight boss and the nosy neighbors. There will be plenty of special effects and magic, insists Wick, who adds: "If you think of the predicaments magic can get someone like Darrin into and then you think of a really fantastic comic actor, someone very earthbound compared to Nicole's bewitching nature, you just start to get all of the stuff you can play with. And Nicole is other-worldly beautiful anyway." Kidman has kidded that unlike her best actress-winning performance with the fake nose in "The Hours," this nose-twitching witch performance "will not be all about the nose." _______________________________________________ Sndbox mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://a8.mewebdns-a8.com/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
