Woody Allen rarely stars in films he doesn’t write and direct, with his last such role being in Alfonso Arau’s 2000 comedy “Picking Up the Pieces”. Nevertheless, the filmmaker is clearly making an exception for John Turturro, as he’s just signed on to star opposite the “Hannah and Her Sisters” co-star in the comedy “Fading Gigolo”, which Turturro is also writing and directing. The two will play financially-distressed best friends who start a gigolo business together in their Hasidic Jewish neighborhood (Allen as the pimp, Turturro as the ho), taking on the names Virgil and Bongo in the process (no word yet on which is which, but of course that’s besides the point).
Of course, in any movie featuring Allen it’s imperative to have at least one or two sexy ladies on hand, and in this capacity both “Modern Family” actress Sofia Vergara and Sharon Stone (who was first seen on-screen in Allen’s “Stardust Memories” in a brief walk-on role) have been cast as a wealthy client of the duo and Allen’s character’s dermatologist, respectively.
According to Variety, which broke the story, a hot threesome between Vergara, Stone and Turturro’s characters may just be in store as well. If you’re lucky.
Production on the film is scheduled to start next month in New York City.
Allen, who just came off a win for Best Original Screenplay for his box-office hit “Midnight in Paris”, will also star in his next directorial effort “Nero Fiddled”, which comes out in June. That film co-stars Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz and Roberto Benigni.
Turturro has directed five feature films previously – the 2010 documentary “Passione”, 2005’s “Romance & Cigarettes”, 1998’s “Illuminata” and 1992’s “Mac”, with the last netting him the Camera d’Or (an award given out for best first feature) at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.
Any big Allen fans out there excited for this new acting venture, or would you prefer the writer/director to stay behind the camera? Sound off in the comments!