Coens Gamble On Grant

British crime caper Gambit is soon to get a re-make Coen style as Joel and Ethan have signed a deal to re-write Ronald Neame's comedy with a mind to putting Hugh Grant in the lead. The original 1966 film saw Michael Caine as a suitably sticky-fingered thief who teams up with Shirley MacLaine to 'liberate' and expensive statue from its rich owner. Needless to say, things don't exactly go to plan and a series of double-crosses send the whole operation into disarray. The Gambit remake has had a number of false starts since the idea was first mooted with high-profile writers - including West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin - attached to develop the script only to be whisked off by other commitments. However, now that the Coen brothers are on board, writing is set to begin immediately. The pair currently have a little time on their hands while they wait to begin work on Intolerable Cruelty, which is currently awaiting the availability of star George Clooney, still tied up by his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.