After playing a game of cat and mouse with the media earlier this year, first being unveiled by Emma Thompson and then denying any involvement, Carey Mulligan has finally confirmed her link to the gestating remake of “My Fair Lady” noting that while she is in talks to star, the project isn’t going to be happening for a while yet.
“It’s not happening this year,” Mulligan told WorstPreviews. “I’ve definitely spoken about it, and I would love to do it if it happens, but it’s just not happening right now.”
“I read the script and the script is incredible. Emma Thompson wrote it. It’s telling the story again, in another way and not trying to sort of copy anything and not trying to take away anything from that version of it. It’s just telling it in a new era to a new generation of people.”
The project currently has “Shakespeare In Love” director John Madden on board after being linked to a string of helmers including Danny Boyle, Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Daldry. Last we heard, plans are to now move into production sometime in 2011 after a year or two of stagnancy, with casting for Professor Henry Higgins also restarting after Thompson favorite Hugh Grant was briefly attached. At one stage, it was also rumored that a brief Madden exit from the project was over clashes with the casting of Grant so, with the helmer back on board, we’re not expecting Grant to come back to the role any time soon.
On the other hand, it does seem like Mulligan is still very much in contention for Eliza Doolittle, a role once held by none other than Audrey Hepburn. Could she do one better than the iconic actress and take on the musical side of the role as well? “I can hold a tune, but not amazingly,” Mulligan modestly concludes — see her appearance on the new Belle & Sebastian song. Hopefully there’ll be more developments on this project as 2010 draws to a close.
