My last post was an episode of Gender Swap Casting, in which I proposed casting women in the roles played by men in a remake of Mel Brook’s original The Producers with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. (Plus one mimbo for the Lee Meredith role!)
What is gender swap casting you say?
In the Wake of the controversial Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie, I was inspired by a tweet by blogger Geraldine DeRuiter who said the Joker should be a woman. I asked my Facebook friends about a theoretical Joker movie with a woman playing the Joker and asked who they thought would be a really good female Joker. Some of the answers I got were Lili Taylor, Jane Lynch, Cate Blanchett, and Famke Janssen.
In this episode of Gender Swap Casting I’m thinking of the classic Mel Brook’s movie The Producers, the one starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Perhaps their play could be Springtime for Eva Braun rather than Hitler.
(Not that I have anything against the Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick version of the Producers, which is a fine film!)
Here’s who I would cast!
For the role of Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock, (Leontine and Maxine,) I would bring back the duo of Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. McCarthy would be a perfect Bialystock! And I think Bullock could pull of Bloom. This pic is from their cop buddy comedy Heat!
As for Francine Liebkind, the author of the play Springtime for Eva Braun, I would cast thee Gwendoline Christie, AKA Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, AKA giant ass kicking blond. Perfect! Can she pull off comedy? I would like to find out!
For Then there’s the duo of Roberta De Bris and Carmen Ghia, how about SNL alumni Leslie Jones as Roberta De Bris, the absolutely ridiculous director, and her Girl Friday Kate McKinnon as Carmen Ghia
Honestly the hardest part of all of this is who to cast as the mimbo, the pretty boy executive assistant. If we’re going to swap genders, a guy has to play Lee Meredith’s part. It reminded me of a recent online debate about who was better looking, Chris Evans or Ryan reynolds. Personally I was in camp Evans, and yeah maybe? But also might need to be someone younger!
What do you think of my casting? Have any ideas of your own? Think you can come up with someone better for one of these roles? Leave your comments in the suggestions!
