Rebel Wilson 'to star in female-driven remake' of Steve Martin and Michael Caine classic Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Published: 22:07 GMT, 4 August 2016 | Updated: 22:49 GMT, 4 August 2016

View
comments

Rebel Wilson's last starring role was in How To Be Single in which she practically stole the scenes from lovely Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann.

Now the Australian comedienne, 36, is said to be bringing her biting banter to a planned remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Variety is reporting.

Rebel will play one of two scam artists - one classy, the other just your average middling gal - who trip over themselves to see who can swindle 'a naive tech prodigy' first in order to get to his money.

Delving into her inner 'scoundrel': Rebel Wilson is said to be attached to star in a female-driven remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Variety is reporting

The 1988 film starred Steve Martin and Michael as the con men bent on swindling a rich woman out of her inheritance.

That film was a remake of an earlier 1964 version entitled Bedtime Story starring Marlon Brando and David Niven.

The current remake under development at MGM will update the story to present day with a female-driven approach, something that isn't entirely new in Hollywood.

Cheers: Steve Martin and Michael Caine played the swindlers in the 1988 film version

Get the picture? Rebel will play one of two scam artists - one classy, one not - who trip over themselves to see who can swindle 'a naive tech prodigy' first

Ghostbusters was revamped with an all-female cast including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon with Chris Hemsworth as the token guy, although that remake didn't go over well with some fans of the original Ghostbusters.

Rebel is also attached to star in a remake of Private Benjamin, originally played by Goldie Hawn.

That's something Nancy Meyer, the original film's writer and producer, would rather not see.

Single and ready to mingle: The 36-year-old Aussie star's last leading role was in How To Be Single opposite Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann

What a gal: Rebel is currently starring in the London West End production of Guys and Dolls and was pictured taking her curtain call on July 14

'I'm not in charge, you know? I don't own it, but I like the one with Goldie Hawn,' Meyers told ET last September. 'I thought that was good.'

Meanwhile, Rebel can be seen briefly in a cameo role in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, which hit US theatres on July 22, and reunites Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.

Saunders commented earlier this week that Rebel improvised many of her lines, but that some were too racy to make the final cut.

Cameo role: Rebel has a cameo role in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie starring original cast members Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley

'She was so filthy, absolutely terrible,' Jennifer told Nine's 60 Minutes on Sunday.

'You'd write lines and then you'd realise she'd mentally discarded those lines and come up with something much funnier. But filthy.'

Jennifer added: 'There were times when we had to say "not pos" stop now. But that's what I love, I love her.'

Potty mouth: Jennifer, pictured, left, in a film still alongside Joanna, remarked that Rebel loved to improvise her lines but that many had to be cut because they were too racy