Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman to lead remake of ‘War of the Roses’

Under the direction of Jay Roach, The Roses is currently in development at Searchlight Studios.

• Mohnish Singh
• 03 April, 2024

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By: Mohnish Singh

British actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are set to headline Searchlight’s adaptation of The Roses, a modern retelling of the 1989 dark comedy The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.

Under the direction of Jay Roach, known for his versatility in blending comedy and drama, The Roses is currently in development at Searchlight Studios, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

The screenplay, based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel, has been penned by Tony McNamara, acclaimed for his work on Searchlight’s ‘Poor Things’, which earned him an Oscar nomination.

The original film, directed by Danny DeVito, chronicled the tumultuous marriage of Oliver and Barbara Rose, leading to a bitter divorce marked by escalating conflict and chaos.

Cumberbatch and Colman will portray the couple in the remake, with both actors also taking on producer roles through their respective production banners, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cumberbatch, known for his Oscar-nominated performance in The Imitation Game, recently appeared in Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, while Colman, an Oscar winner for The Favourite, will next be seen in Paddington in Peru.