Back in 1989, Danny DeVito unleashed his sophomore directorial effort The War of the Roses, based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel of the same name, and proceeded to inadvertently change the culture of German divorce court forever (as, I presume, only DeVito could).
Hollywood is showcasing the lighter side of its obsession with remakes as Searchlight Pictures’ The Roses continues to putter along graciously in pre-production. The film is set to be a reimagining of DeVito’s dark comedy, complete with newly-acquired leads Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, according to Deadline.
With that, here’s everything you need to know about The Roses.
What is The Roses about?
In the 1989 film, the plot centered on Barbara and Oliver Rose (Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, respectively), a wealthy couple who, following the initial unraveling of their marriage, both commit to psychological warfare as their nauseating divorce battle escalates.
The Roses seems to be following a similar plot per the film’s logline. With their thriving careers, healthy children, and riveting intimacy, husband and wife Theo and Ivy seem to have it all. But when Theo hits a professional roadblock that seeps into his family life, it becomes explosively apparent that there was a fair shake of tension beneath their model family image after all.
Who stars in The Roses?
Cumberbatch and Colman, as previously stated, will spearhead the cast as Theo and Ivy, while Jay Roach is set to direct a script from Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara. The two leads and the director will also produce the project.
When will The Roses release?
At the time of this writing, The Roses is still in the development stage, so it will probably be quite some time before we get word on a release date. With a creative union such as this one, however, it’s hard to imagine any wait feeling too long.
(featured image: Disney+)
