Reliving the Past
Many attempts to make a film tribute to The Three Stooges were plagued by director doubts and casting mishaps. In 1976, Mel Brooks abandoned plans to make a film starring himself, Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman as the lovable trio. In 2005, Mel Gibson released a television biographical film that delved into the private and somewhat painful lives of the actors that left audiences sobbing in their seats rather than crying with laughter. For the 2012 film, the original cast was meant to be Sean Penn (Larry), Jim Carrey (Curly) and Benicio del Toro (Moe) before they each dropped out.