We already know that The Weinstein Company (TWC) is moving full speed ahead with a remake of the French blockbuster hit The Intouchables, with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is in early negotiations to direct the English-language remake for The Weinstein Company, and Colin Firth in early talks to star in the role played by François Cluzet.

Of course the question has been who would play the role originated by Omar Sy – the role that won him lots of accolades, including the highest honor an actor in Franch could get?

As Tambay said in his review of the film, in the real-life story the film is based on, the character played by Omar Sy, Abdel Sellou, is Algerian in real life. But they went with the Senegalese Sy. And there was question of whether the actor chosen to play the role in the American remake may not be black American/African.

Omar Sy himself said that the Stateside equivalent of the relationship between the countries that two men in the original film/real life are from, would be akin to that between the USA and Mexico; so the character he plays in the original film should really be played by a Mexican actor in the Hollywood/Weinstein Company remake – if they wanted to be 100% authentic as Omar Sy described.

But it doesn't look like that will happen, as it's being reported that Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock and Idris Elba are on the short list of actors to play the lead role in director Paul Feig's remake.

Things that make you go hmm…

This is all coming from the New York Post, with no other media outlets saying the same thing so I say we should file this in the *unconfirmed* column for now.

The post also says that Feig is chasing Michelle Williams and Jessica Chastain for the lead female role.

I haven't watched the original film yet. But based on Tambay's review, and other reviews I've read, it's not clear to me how close the remake will be to the original because it doesn't sound like the original would work exactly as it is with American characters in it.

But let's watch this and see where it goes.

Watch the trailer below for a reminder of the original, and see if you can envision either of the 3 actors in the Omar Sy role: